PFWDPERTY  OF 

Z.  p.  METCALF^ 


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FOURTH   ANNUAL   REPORT 


STATE    ENTOMOLOGIST 


OF    INDIANA 


BENJAMIN  W.  DOUGLASS 
1910-1911 


INDIANAPOLIS  : 

WM.  B.  BURFORD,  CONTRACTOR  FOR  STATE  PRINTING  AND  BINDING 

1912 


THE  STATE  OF  INDIANA, 

Executive  Department, 

December  5,  1911. 

Received  by  the  Governor,  examined  and  referred  to  tlie  Auditor  of 
State  for  verification  of  tlie  financial  statement. 


Office  of  Auditor  of  State, 

Indianapolis,  December  27,  1911. 

The  within  report,  so  far  as  the  same  relates  to  moneys  drawn  from 
the  State  Treasury,  has  been  examined  and  found  correct. 

W.  H.  O'BRIEN, 

Auditor  of  State. 


December  27,  1911. 

Returned  by  the  Auditor  of  State,  with  above  certificate,  and  transmit- 
ted to  Secretary  of  State  for  publication,  upon  the  order  of  the  Board  of 
Connnissioners  of  Public  Printing  and  Binding. 

MARK  THISTLETHWAITE, 

Sccrciani  to  the  Governor. 


Filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  State  of  Indiana, 
December  27,  1911. 

L.  G.  ELLINGHAM, 

Secretary  of  State. 


Received  the  within  report  and  delivered  to  the  printer,  December  27, 
1911. 

ED  D.  DONNELL, 

Clerk  Printing  Board. 

13) 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


OFFICE  OF  STATE  ENTOiVIOLOGIST, 
Benjamin  W.  Douglass. 

Indianapolis,  October  31,  IDll. 

Honorable  Thos.  R.  Marshall,  GoveDior  of  Indiana: 

My  Dear  Sir — It  is  my  pleasure  to  present  herewith  the  fourth 
report  of  this  department.  The  report  deals  with  the  various  ac- 
tivities of  the  department  during  the  past  year,  and  in  addition  dis- 
cusses in  detail  the  subjects  of  Peach  Growing  in  Indiana,  The 
Scale  Insects  of  Indiana,  and  The  Pests  of  City  Shade  Trees.  A 
small  part  of  the  report  is  devoted  to  the  subject  of  bee  keeping 
m  Indiana. 

The  entire  report  is  the  work  of  the  writer  and,  except  in  the 
few  cases  noted,  all  of  the  illustrations  have  been  made  in  this  de- 
partment. The  illustrations  presented  are  considered  necessary  for 
a  proper  understanding  of  the  text. 

Respectfully, 

BENJAMIN  W.  DOUGLASS, 

State  Entomologist. 


FINANCIAL  STATEMENT. 

1910-1911. 

Salary — 

Benjamin  W.  Douglass $2,500  00 

Edna  McCormack    800  00 

Elsie  A  Dickson  900  00 

Frank  N.  Wallace  800  00 

Everett  E.  Smith  1.200  00 

Daniel  W.  Erbaugli  1,075  00 

George  S.  Demutli  1,000  00 

liarry  F.  Dietz  356  67 

L.  S.  Hasselman 92  00 

Harold  Morrison 250  00 

Chas.  H.  Baldwin    281  00 

Grace  Alexander   206  25 

Frank  B.  Wade  22  50 

Clifford  L.  Bartlett 130  00 

Office  expense  322  64 

Express    711  44 

Telephones  and  telegrams  132  89 

Postage  700  00 

Hotel 1,094  55 

Livery    510  95 

Transportation    1,217  32 

Total    .$14,303  21 

Appropriation    $15,000  00 

Expenditure    14,303  21 

Returned  to  State  $696  79 

An  itemized  account  of  all  expenditures  is  on  file  with  the  Auditor  of 
State. 


INTRODUCTION. 


WORK  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT. 

During  the  past  year  the  work  of  the  department  has  been  car- 
ried along  the  usual  branches  of  nursery,  orchard  and  bee  in- 
spection. 

The  orchard  and  nursery  inspection  necessitated  as  usual  con- 
siderable laboratory  work  in  the  way  of  preparing  and  identifying 
specimens.  The  suggestion  has  been  made  that  this  part  of  the  de- 
partment's work  could  be  done  at  Purdue  University.  Knowing 
the  conditions  as  I  do,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  attempt  to  sepa- 
rate the  work  as  it  is  now  established  would  be  to  interfere  with  a 
system  that  has  proved  to  be  both  economical  and  efficient.  Many 
specimens  are  sent  in  to  be  identified.  These  come  from  the  field 
inspectors  and  from  private  individuals  all  over  the  State.  It  is 
often  imperative  that  the  identification  be  made  immediately  as  a 
delay  would  result  in  a  loss  of  time,  money  and  departmental  effi- 
ciency. 

The  laboratory  work  of  the  past  year  was  productive  of  good 
results  in  many  respects.    One  of  the  most  notable  things  was  a  bit 


BROWN  TAIL  MOTHS. 

of  work  that  in  itself  was  but  an  incidental  item  but  may  possibly 
prove  to  be  the  most  important  to  the  State.  This  was  the  identifi- 
cation of  the  red-headed  fungus,  a  parasite  of  San  Jose  scale.  This 
fungus  is  well  known  in  some  of  the  Southern  States  and  for  the 
past  three  years  I  have  been  trying  to  introduce  it  and  its  ally  the 

(5) 


6  J^'oLiMH  Annuaj.  Ri;roRT 

"black  head  fungus"  into  this  State.  Quite  by  accident  the  red- 
headed fungus  was  found  by  one  of  the  deputies,  Mr.  Frank  Wal- 
lace, in  Seymour,  Indiana.  Cultures  from  these  specimens  were 
made  and  tubes  of  the  fungus  were  sent  out  during  the  spring  and 
sumjner.  At  this  writing  it  is  still  too  early  to  know  whether  the 
fungus  has  taken  held  in  any  case,  and  even  if  it  ha;  it  will  have  to 


INSPECTING  NURSERY  STOCK  FROM  FRANCE. 


stand  the  test  of  winter  weather  to  determine  whether  or  not  it  will 
be  able  to  live  in  this  climate.  The  fact  that  the  fungus  was  found 
out  of  doors  at  Seymour  is  an  indication  that  the  fungus  will  be 
adaptable  to  southern  Indiana  at  least.  About  three  years  ago  I 
found  another  fungus  growing  on  San  Jose  in  Spencer  County,  but 
after  extensive  experiments  we  were  forced  to  abandon  it  as  we 
could  not  get  it  to  produce  spores  under  cultivation. 

Another  instance  of  the  value  of  the  laboratory  work  is  to  b? 
noted  in  the  fact  that  it  was  here  that  the  disease  known  as  apple 
blotch  was  first  identified  in  Indiana.  The  first  published  account 
of  this  disease  is  in  my  second  report.  The  facts  in  the  case  hardly 
support  the  charge  that  the  work  of  this  laboratory'  duplicates  the 
work  of  any  other  State  department. 

During  the  year  a  great  deal  of  orchard  inspection  work  was 
done  and  a  number  of  demonstration  orchards  were  conducted  by 
the  department.    Lack  of  space  precludes  a  detailed  account  of  all 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  7 

of  these  orchards,  but  a  few  are  especially  notable.  All  of  the  fol- 
lowing are  in  central  or  northern  Indiana,  the  southern  Indiana  or- 
chards having  failed  during  the  past  season. 

At  Culver  the  department  managed  the  orchard  of  Walter  Von- 
negut,  consisting  of  50  trees.  These  trees  were  pruned  early  in 
the  spring  and  were  sprayed  four  times.    Every  tree  in  the  orchard 


a  storage  cellar  at  a  nursery. 

An  argument  against  spring  planting. 

bore  to  its  full  capacity  and  many  trees  had  to  be  heavily  thinned 
to  prevent  breaking.  One  tree  of  Stark  yielded  40  bushels  of  fine 
apples.  The  Fameuse  averaged  more  than  95  per  cent,  perfect,  and 
other  varieties  did  equally  well.  This  orchard  attracted  a  great  deal 
of  attention  in  the  north  part  of  the  State. 

Dr.  Eeecler  furnished  his  orchard  at  Laporte  for  experimental 
purposes  and  in  a  letter  he  says,  "The  results  on  the  orchard  are 
remarkable.  Better  than  the  95  per  cent,  perfect  that  you  prom- 
ised me.  With  the  exception  of  the  check  trees  you  can  go  to  any 
of  my  trees  in  the  dark  and  pick  and  eat  an  apple  without  fear  of 
getting  a  worm. " 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  results  were  had  at  the  orchard  of 
L.  V.  Hopkins  at  Maxwell,  Indiana.  This  was  a  mixed  orchard  of 
different  varieties  and  near  it  was  a  small  orchard  of  peaches.  The 
peach  trees  bore  for  the  first  time  this  season.    An  account  of  winter 


8  Fourth  Annual  Report 

spraying  to  hold  back  the  peach  buds  is  published  elsewhere  in  this 
report.  The  apples  gave  remarkable  yields  on  all  varieties.  All  of 
the  sprayed  trees  were  full  of  perfect  fruit.  The  check  trees  had 
so  little  fruit  that  it  was  not  possible  to  mal^e  a  fair  comparison. 


PILE  OF  BRUSH  REMOVED  FROM  A  SMALL  HOME  ORCHARD. 


It  was  necessary  to  go  to  some  neglected  orchard  in  the  neighbor- 
hood in  order  to  get  a  good  idea  of  what  had  actually  been  accom- 
plished on  Mr.  Hopkins'  place. 

One  branch  of  the  nursery  inspection  consists  of  the  examina- 
tion of  all  nursery  stock  that  enters  the  State  from  abroad  or  from 
the  States  of  Missouri  or  Iowa.  In  the  past  year  we  have  examined 
2,075,760  trees  in  the  course  of  this  work.  Since  this  work  was 
started  three  years  ago  we  have  found  that  the  quality  and  condi- 
tion of  the  foreign  stocks  have  materially  improved.  European 
growers  have  learned  to  have  more  respect  for  the  American  plant- 
ers and  are  not  quite  so  ready  to  foist  anything  upon  them  that 
they  may  chance  to  have. 

An  account  of  the  bee  inspection  work  is  given  under  the  ac- 
count of  bee  keeping  in  Indiana. 

The  following  list  of  nurserymen  includes  all  that  have  received 
certificates  up  to  the  date  of  this  writing,  October  27.  If  there  are 
any  familiar  names  missing  it  means  that  those  growers  have  either 
gone  out  of  business,  been  refused  certificates  or  have  neglected  to 
file  necessary  affidavits  in  this  office : 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 

LIST  OF  INDIANA  NURSERYMEN. 

Abraham  Bros.,  Martinsville,  Ind. 

Alstott,  J.  M.  &  Son,  Corydon,  Ind. 

Anglin,  J.  K.,  Etna  Green,  Ind. 

Armstrong,  Andrew,  Odon,  Ind. 

Baldwin,  T.  A.,  Oxford,  Ind. 

Barnard,  A.  J.,  Westville,  Ind. 

Barnes,  M.  &  Company,  College  Corner,  Ohio. 

Bell,  C.  A.,  Borden,  Ind. 

Bennett,  A.  S.,  Lafayette,  Ind. 

Billingsley,  Samuel,  Greenwood,  Ind. 

Bird,  E.  E.,  Depauw,  Ind. 

Brown,  James,  Borden,  Ind. 

Brown,  Mercer,  Spiceland,  Ind. 

Buck,  H.  F.,  Elberfeld,  Ind. 

Burkhart,  H.  A.  &  Son,  Southport,  Ind. 

Burton,  S.  H.,  Washington,  Ind. 

Cain,  W.  D.,  Shelburn,  Ind. 

Callahan,  D.  W.,  Pekin,  Ind. 

Capitol  City  Nursery  Co.,  Greenfield,  Ind. 

Card,  Phineas  A.,  Greenfield,  Ind. 

Catheart,  Alva,  Bristol,  Ind. 

Cochran,  L.  B.,  Greensburg,  Ind. 

Collins,  Lamar,  Underwood,  Ind. 

Cosner,  Alfred,  Stilesville,  Ind. 

Crawford,  J.  D.,  Plymouth,  Ind. 

Cunningham  Nursery  Co.,  Rising  Sun,  Ind. 

Davis,  George  W.,  Brazil,  Ind. 

Dean,  H.  P.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Dickson,  C.  E.,  Bloomfield,  Ind. 

Dutter,  Jerry,  Angola,  Ind. 

Egloff,  Joe,  St.  Meinrad,  Ind. 

Flory,  A.  E.,  Logansport,  Ind. 

Fonts,  Edward,  Borden,  Ind. 

Gaar,  Milton  II.,  Cambridge  City,  Ind. 

Gaar,  "W.  H.,  Germantown,  Ind. 

Gainey,  S.  C,  Doans,  Ind. 

GaUamore,  W.  F.,  Bloomfield,  Ind. 

Garber,  D.  M.,  Pierceton,  Ind. 

Garrett,  F.  B.,  Burns  City,  Ind. 

Gast,  R.  N.,  Akron,  Ind. 

Girton,  L.  R.,  Bristol,  Ind. 


10  Fourth  Annual  Report 

Goeliler,  Albert,  Urbana,  Ind. 

Graham,  Charles  F.,  Jeffersonville,  Ind. 

Graham,  John  K.,  New  Albany,  Ind. 

Gray,  Alva,  Pekin,  Ind. 

Hanka,  Henry,  Borden,  Ind. 

Hazen,  Smith,  Hatfield,  Ind. 

Heller  Brothers  Company,  New  Castle,  lud. 

Henby,  J.  K.  &  Son,  Greenfield,  Ind. 

Hill,  E.  G.,  Company,  Richmond,  Ind. 

Hobbs,  C.  M.  «&  Sons,  Bridgeport,  Ind. 

Hofreiter,  Andy,  New  Harmony,  Ind. 

Hopkins,  L.  V.,  Maxwell,  Ind. 

Harrow,  B.  W.,  Butler,  Ind. 

Hurst,  Louis,  Pekin,  Ind. 

Indiana  Experiment  Station,  The,  Lafayette,  Ind. 

Indianapolis  Forest  Nursery  Co.,  Greenfield,  Ind. 

Jackson,  Ham,  Borden,  Ind. 

Jarrett,  J.  A.,  Montpelier,  Ind. 

Jones,  E.  E.,  Plymouth,  Ind. 

Keel,  Thomas,  Westville,  Ind. 

Keplar,  S.  W.,  Pulaski,  Ind. 

Knaub,  Ben,  North  Vernon,  Ind. 

Krider,  Vernon,  Middlebury,  Ind. 

Lewis,  D.  C,  Fairmount,  Ind. 

Lucas,  J.  W.,  Bloomfield,  Ind. 

]\IcClaren,  Charles  A.,  Cory  don,  Ind. 

McClaren,  Joe  T.,  Corydon,  Ind. 

McCormiek  &  Osborn,  Burns  City,  Ind. 

Mason,  B.  F.,  Martinsville,  Ind. 

Sleeker,  H.  H.,  Crown  Point,  Ind. 

Meredith,  Frank,  Koleen,  Ind. 

Millions,  Jessie,  Butlerville,  Ind. 

Miller,  Phillip,  Borden.  Ind. 

Mills,  Grant,  Redkey,  Ind. 

Mofeett,  Frank,  Carmel,  Ind. 

Moyer,  G.  N.,  LaJfeton,  Ind. 

Murr,  Asbury,  Depauw,  Ind. 

Murray,  A.  M.,  Goshen,  Ind. 

Nation,  Charles,  Gilead,  Ind. 

Neet,  G.  W.,  Valparaiso,  Ind. 

Noble,  J.  M.,  Sellersburg,  Ind. 

Northern  Indiana  Nursery  Co.,  The,  Waterloo,  Ind. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  11 

Nufer,  Alfred,  Bremen,  Ind. 

Osborn,  Alfred,  Odon,  Ind. 

Osborn,  Arthur,  Spiceland,  Ind. 

Overman,  R.  J.,  Danville,  Ind. 

Palmer,  Fred  L.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Patterson,  R.  T.,  Bloomfield,  Ind. 

Peirce,  A.  D.,  Greenfield,  Ind. 

Portland  Nursery  Co.,  Portland,  Ind. 

Preble,  A.  C,  Marion,  Ind. 

Quillen,  Charles,  Monrovia,  Ind. 

Randolph  Nursery  Co.,  W.  Lafayette,  Ind. 

Ragle,  Amos,  Elnora,  Ind. 

Rape,  T.  C,  Farmland,  Ind. 

Reed,  W.  H.,  Hanover,  Ind. 

Ripperdan,  Lee,  Valley  City,  Ind. 

Robb,  G.  W.,  Borden,  Ind. 

Rogers,  Sig,  Bloomfield,  Ind. 

Roerk,  B.  F.,  Borden,  Ind. 

Seibert,  A.  B.,  Rochester,  Ind. 

Shields  Brothers,  Charlottesville,  Ind. 

Shields,  Thomas  &  Son,  Anderson,  Ind. 

Sleeper  Bros.,  Fowler,  Ind. 

Sloan,  James,  Washington,  Ind. 

Smith,  Joseph  E.,  Muneie,  Ind. 

Smith,  Orin,  Butler,  Ind. 

Snoddy  Nursery  Co.,  The,  Lafayette,  Ind. 

Stout,  Wilbur  C,  Mooresville,  Ind. 

Teas,  R.  Y.  &  Son,  Centerville,  Ind. 

Terrell,  Grover  C,  Pekin,  Ind. 

Thomas,  F.  G.,  Battle  Ground,  Ind. 

Young,  John  J.,  Odon,  Ind. 

Walker,  F.,  New  Albany,  Ind. 

Walton,  William,  Laporte,  Ind. 

Weaver,  Ira,  Middlebury,  Ind. 

Weber,  Carl,  Greenfield,  Ind. 

Wines,  William  H.,  Akron,  Ind. 

Wood,  W.  C,  Borden,  Ind. 


PEACH  GROWING  IN  INDIANA. 


When  Omax  Khayyham  sang  about  his  ' '  Book  of  verses  under- 
neath the  bough"  I  have  small  doubt  that  the  bough  he  referred  to 
was  the  branch  of  a  peach  tree.  In  the  first  place,  the  peach  is  a 
native  Persian,  and  of  all  fruits  the  one  best  calculated  to  appeal  to 
the  fancy  of  a  poet.  Like  the  apple,  the  peach  has  come  to  us  from 
other  lands,  and  has  found  here  not  only  congenial  soil  and  climate, 
but  intelligent  growers  who  have  done  much  to  develop  new  va- 
rieties. We  find  today  that  this  foreigner  is  completely  naturalized 
and  occupies  no  mean  place  in  our  American  horticulture. 


A  WELL  CULTIVATED  ORCHARD. 

In  Indiana,  peach  growing  was  an  important  industry  more 
than  two  decades  ago,  large  areas  being  devoted  to  this  purpose. 
At  that  time,  there  were  extensive  orchards  on  the  hills  bordering 
the  Ohio  River  and  for  a  time  they  were  quite  profitable.  The 
growers  of  that  period  were  unfamiliar  with  the  modern  methods 
of  fruit  growing  and  most  of  the  old  orchards  are  now  almost  for- 
gotten. I  have  talked  with  many  of  the  former  growers  and  have 
visited  most  of  the  few  orchards  that  are  still  standing,  and  I  am 


(13) 


14  Fourth  Annual  Report 

convinced  that  peach  growing  in  the  southern  counties  can  be  made 
far  more  successful  than  it  was  even  in  the  days  of  the  "big  or- 
chards." 

Most  of  the  old  growers  attribute  their  failure  to  bad  luck  when, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  simply  bad  management  and  ignorance 
of  the  proper  methods  of  handling  this  crop.  It  is  probable  that 
Peach  Yellows  was  the  most  serious  drawback  to  the  early  orchards 
as  it  is  to  those  of  the  present  time.    No  one  can  deny,  too,  that 


A   TREE  IN  THE  DEAN  ORCHARDS  IN    SOUTHERN  INDIANA    THREE 
SYEARS  OLD. 

Peach  Yellows  is  bad  enough,  but  it  is  not  hopelessly  bad  if  tlie 
proper  steps  are  taken  to  control  it.  The  early  planters  of  peach 
trees  in  Indiana  were  of  the  type  that  sets  out  an  orchard  and  al- 
lows it  to  take  care  of  itself,  gathering  the  crops  as  long  as  the  trees 
may  remain  healthy  and  then  hopelessly  throwing  up  their  hand; 
as  soon  as  some  strange  disease  makes  its  appearance. 

The  men  who  will  be  successful  in  peach  growing  in  Indiana  or 
in  any  other  State,  from  now  on,  will  be  for  the  most  part  young 
men  who  are  willing  to  adopt  the  new  methods  of  peach  culture 
and  to  apply  modern  methods  throughout  their  work.  Men  who 
undertake  this  work  in  the  proper  spirit  mil  have  before  them  a 
field  of  tremendous  profit  and,  at  the  same  time,  they  Avill  find  that 
they  are  engaged  in  a  most  delightful  work.  It  is  probable  that  the 
nian  who  is  looking  for  a  location  for  a  peach  orchard  will  ask,  first 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  15 

of  all,  about  the  climate,  and  it  is  well  that  he  should  for  the  peach 
is  not  a  fruit  that  can  be  grown  in  such  wide  climatic  conditions  as 
can  the  apple.  During  the  past  few  years  the  peach  crop  has  been 
far  more  certain  throughout  Indiana  than  has  the  apple  crop,  and 
wdth  proper  care  there  is  no  reason  in  the  world  why  the  peach  or- 
chard should  not  yield  a  crop  practically  every  year. 

The  cliief  difficulty  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  has  been 
that  the  winters  have  not  been  cold  enough  to  retard  the  develop- 


AUD  CTi/rn  A 


ment  of  the  peach  bud  and  as  a  result  the  buds  started  out  too 
early  in  the  spring  and  were  caught  by  the  spring  frosts.  Failures 
in  the  extreme  north  part  of  the  State  have  been  due  largely  to 
severe  weather  in  the  winter.  I  would  not  undertake  to  grow 
peaches  in  any  climate  where  the  winter  temperature  often  fell 
under  5  degrees  below  zero,  although  the  peach  has  been  known  to 
withstand  a  temperature  of  20  degrees  below  zero.  This,  however, 
is  entirely  too  low  a  temperature  for  the  commercial  peach  grower 
to  feel  comfortable  about.  Many  peach  crops  have  been  lost  in  the 
central  part  of  the  State  by  the  warm  weather  in  December  start- 
ing the  buds  and  developing  them  to  a  tender  stage  so  that  they 
were  readily  killed  by  the  severe  weather  later  in  the  winter. 

During  the  past  season  I  conducted  some  experiments  in  an 
effort  to  prevent  this  winter  injury.  The  work  w^as  done  at  several 
different  peach  orchards  in  the  central  part  of  the  State  and  the 


16  Fourth  Annual  RErortx 

results  were  sufficiently  encouraging  to  justify  some  mention  at  this 
time,  although  they  are  by  no  means  conclusive.  The  trees  that  we 
experimented  with  were  sprayed  with  whitewash  in  December  and 
the  spray  was  repeated  as  soon  as  it  as  worn  off  or  washed  off  in 
the  rain.     The  idea  was  that  the  white  coating  of  the  trees  would 


YOUNG    PEACH    OUPHARD    CULTIVATED    BY    C,I,(>\\[\r,     v    CROP   OF 
POTATOES. 

reflect  the  light,  that  the  heat  would  not  be  absorbed  by  the  branches 
and  that,  accordingly,  the  buds  would  fail  to  start.  The  results 
showed  that  the  work  was  correct  in  theory  and  there  is  no  reason 
why  it  should  not  be  practiced  extensively.  The  peach  trees  that 
were  whitewashed  were  retarded  to  such  an  extent  that  they  blos- 
somed from  ten  days  to  two  weeks  later  than  the  ones  that  were  not 
whitewashed.  The  trees  that  were  whitewashed  set  nearly  100  per 
cent,  more  fruit  than  the  trees  that  were  left  for  checks.  A  careful 
count  showed  that  both  the  sprayed  and  the  unsprayed  trees  had  to 
start  with  about  the  same  number  of  living  buds,  so  that  the  work 
represented  a  gain  of  practically  100  per  cent,  in  the  possible  peach 
crop. 

A  different  set  of  weather  conditions  might  change  these  results 
materially,  so  that  under  some  circumstances,  the  whitewashing 
might  positively  be  a  bad  thing.  For  instance,  the  buds  might  be 
retarded  and  open  just  at  a  critical  time  and  be  caught  by  a  late 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


17 


frost,  while  the  trees  that  were  not  sprayed  might  have  passed  the 
critical  period  and  the  young  peaches  be  left  unharmed.  Neverthe- 
less, I  believe  that  the  practice  of  whitewashing  of  the  peach  trees 
is  of  sufficient  value  that  it  should  be  further  experimented  with 
in  this  State. 


THE  RESULT  OF  NEGLECT  IN  THE  PEACH  ORCHARD. 

I  have  never  tried  the  use  of  smudge  pots  on  peaches,  but  the 
few  trials  that  I  have  given  this  practice  on  apples  and  other  or- 
chard fruits  do  not  lead  me  to  believe  that  it  will  be  of  great  value 
Indiana.  Smudge  pots  in  the  apple  orchard  will  be  valuable  one 
year  in  ten  and  as  a  result  the  orchardist  must  keep  up  this  in- 
vestment for  the  other  nine  years  for  use  during  the  possible  ten. 
I  doubt  very  much  whether  the  results  will  pay  for  this  long  time 
investment.  This,  however,  is  still  altogether  in  the  experimental 
stage  and  time  may  develop  that  I  am  wrong  in  my  conclusions  re- 
garding the  value  of  artificial  heat  in  the  orchard.  Aside  from  af- 
fecting the  certainty  of  the  crop,  the  climate  has  a  great  deal  to  do 
with  the  quality  of  fruit,  particularly  with  the  quality  of  peaches. 

I  am  aware  that  practically  every  locality  in  Indiana  is  just  now 
claiming  to  grow  the  finest  peaches  that  can  be  produced  any  place ; 
but  from  my  personal  observations  I  would  say  that  the  best  nat- 
ural peach  districts  in  this  State  were  along  the  Ohio  River;  in 


[2—284031 


18 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Brown  County  and  in  one  or  two  sections  in  the  extreme  north  part 
of  the  State.  I  am  designating  these  three  different  localities  with 
the  full  knowledge  that  there  are  many  other  localities  where  peach 
growing  has  been  and  can  be  successfully  carried  on,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  I  will  make  some  mention  of  these  special  localities  from 
time  to  time  throughout  this  report. 


PERFECT  ORCHARD  CULTIVATION  IN  THE  BROWN  COUNTY  DLSTRICT. 


The  second  consideration  in  locating  a  peach  orchard  is  that  of 
soil.  The  peach  tree  is  somewhat  particular  as  to  the  character  of 
soil  in  which  it  grows.  It  is  not  like  the  apple  in  tliis  respect.  For 
the  most  part,  peaches  seem  to  do  best  on  sandy  soil,  and  on  soil 
that  is  well  drained.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  State  the  sandy 
hill  tops  have  been  known  as  the  best  localities  for  peach  orchards 
for  more  than  a  generation.  In  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the 
State  some  of  the  finest  peaches  are  produced  on  sandy  soil  so  light 
in  character  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  maintain  an  orchard 
cover  throughout  the  winter  to  prevent  the  soil  from  actually  blow- 
ing away.  '       ' 

In  one  peach  orchard  that  I  saw  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State  the  trees  had  been  planted  and  had  been  mulched  close  around 
the  tree.  The  balance  of  the  soil  had  been  left  unprotected  and  as 
a  result  the  small  tree,  after  the  first  winter,  was  left  standing  on 
the  top  of  a  firm  pedestal  of  sand.     Such  a  light  soil  is  obviously 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


19 


20  FouKTH  Annual  Report 

deficient  in  humus,  but  this  quality  can  be  readily  imparted  by  the 
growth  of  proper  cover  crops. 

As  a  rule,  heavy  clay  soils  need  to  be  avoided.  The  orchard 
should  be  located  on  land  which  is  rolling  but  is  not  too  steep  to  al- 
low of  thorough  cultivation.  The  soil  must  be  well  drained,  either 
naturally  or  artificially,  and  if  it  is  not  sufficiently  fertile,  the  neces- 
sary plant  food  must  be  supplied,  preferably  in  the  form  of  com- 
mercial fertilizer.  It  is  frequently  necessary  to  fertilize  a  peach 
orchard  that  has  come  into  bearing,  as  the  peach  crop  tends  to  ex- 
haust certain  elements  in  the  soil.  Chief  among  these  perhaps,  is 
potash,  which  can  readily  be  returned  to  the  soil  through  the  me- 
dium of  commercial  fertilizer.  As  a  rule,  I  would  avoid  the  use  of 
animal  fertilizer  in  orchards  of  any  sort. 

SELECTING  THE  STOCK  FOR  PLANTING. 

Peach  trees  are  propagated  in  the  nursery  by  the  process  known 
as  budding.  That  is,  the  seeds  are  planted  in  the  rows  where  the 
nursery  trees  are  to  be  grown,  and  when  the  young  seedlings  are 


THREE  YEAR  OLD  ORCHARD  IN  JEFFERSOX  COLNTY. 

about  two  feet  high  they  are  budded  near  the  ground  with  buds 
taken  from  trees  of  the  sort  that  it  is  desired  to  propagate.  These 
buds  lie  dormant  until  the  following  year,  when  the  seedling  top  is 
cut  off  and  the  bud  of  the  desired  variety  allowed  to  grow.    This 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  21 

bud  grows  for  one  season  and  produces  what  we  call  a  normal  peach 
tree.  These  trees  are  to  be  planted  at  the  end  of  the  first  season's 
growth,  and  any  stock  offered  by  the  nurseries  which  is  more  than 
one  season  old  should  be  rejected  by  the  planter. 

Older  peach  trees  do  not  bear  transplanting  well  and  there  is 
nothing  to  be  gained  by  using  them.  One  year  old  peach  trees 
should  measure  not  more  than  5  feet  in  height  and  should  be  about 
five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  near  the  ground.  Very  fre- 
quently nurseries  supply  a  larger  size  than  this,  but  the  larger 
sizes  are  not  desirable,  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  do  not  stand 
transplanting  so  readily,  and  as  a  rule  do  not  make  so  desirable  a 
tree  in  the  orchard.  Special  care  should  be  given  to  an  examination 
of  the  roots  before  the  trees  are  planted.  The  peach  is  subject  to 
crown  gall,  the  same  as  the  apple,  and  any  evidence  of  this  disease 
on  the  trees  should  be  carefully  watched  for.  The  broken  roots 
should  be  trimmed  off  and  any  unusually  long  roots  should  be 
shortened  in. 

PLANTING. 

There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  discussion  as  to  the  proper  time 
for  planting  trees.  There  are  arguments  in  favor  of  both  spring 
and  fall  plantings,  but,  all  things  considered,  I  believe  that  the 
best  results  usually  follow  the  plantings  in  the  spring  of  the  year. 
There  is  only  one  serious  objection  to  this,  however.  The  nurseries, 
particularly  the  larger  ones,  are  inclined  to  dig  all  of  their  stock 
in  the  fall  of  the  year  and  store  it  in  their  cellars  throughout  the 
winter.  I  have  seen  nursery  cellars  piled  high  with  dormant  stock 
and  with  the  roots  of  the  trees  about  as  dry  as  it  is  possible  for 
them  to  get.  I  do  not  see  how  such  stock  can  possibly  be  expected 
to  live.  Wlien  it  is  taken  out  by  the  nurserymen  in  the  spring  of 
the  year  it  has  every  appearance  of  being  normal  and  very  often 
the  roots  are  puddled  in  fresh  mud  bel  .re  being  shipped.  This 
gives  them  the  appearance  of  having  beo:i  recently  dug  from  the 
nursery.  The  planter  will  suppose  that  h«  is  getting  normal  nur- 
sery stock  and  after  giving  his  trees  the  best  care  and  attention,  he 
will  be  surprised  that  so  many  of  them  fail  to  grow. 

I  am  convinced  that  the  practice  of  fall  digging  and  winter 
storage  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  many  of  the  failures  that  I  have 
seen  throughout  Indiana.  I  believe  that  it  would  be  a  far  better 
plan  for  the  planter  to  buy  his  stock  in  the  fall  of  the  year  and 
carefully  heel  it  in  himself  and  then  plant  it  in  the  permanent  or- 
chard the  following  spring.     "Where  the  nurseryman  can  be  de- 


Fourth  Annual  Keport 


■'^^ 

■|H 

H^S 

4 

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■^^. 

^B 

\k     A' 

m 

/id^sli^V^M^lH 

jjf?  ^'^->.  "3; •  ■t^'afcy-' ; ,  -\;^^' :  •  1 

WW  ill  ■^Aa^ii^niia'^^B 

lH 

H 

HI 

II 

w    a; 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


23 


24  FouETH  Annual  Report 

pended  upon  to  dig  the  stock  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  I  would  pre- 
fer to  let  it  remain  standing  in  the  nursery  until  the  planting  time. 

The  soil  in  the  orchard  should  be  ploughed  deep  and,  when  the 
land  is  level,  should  be  left  exposed  during  the  winter  previous  to 
the  planting  of  the  orchard.  The  trees  should  be  planted,  for  a 
permanent  peach  orchard,  about  20  feet  apart  each  way.  Separate 
holes  must  be  dug  for  each  tree.  These  holes  should  be  dug  deep 
enough  and  wide  enough  to  readily  accommodate  the  roots  and  to 
allow  the  tree  to  stand  a  trifle  deeper  than  it  stood  in  the  nursery. 

The  best  means  of  locating  the  exact  place  for  the  tree  to  stand 
is  to  use  a  wire,  stretched  the  full  length  of  the  row  in  the  orchard. 
At  intervals  of  20  feet,  a  loop  of  brass  wire  can  be  soldered  to  the 
main  wire  or  a  band  of  white  paint  can  be  applied  at  these  intervals. 
The  paint  is  better  because  it  allows  the  wire  to  be  handled  or  coiled 
more  easily.  AVhen  one  row  of  trees  has  been  planted,  the  \Yire  is 
then  moved  over  20  feet  and  the  next  row  is  planted.  In  this  way, 
the  trees  are  absolutely  kept  in  line  and  are  checked  in  both  direc- 
tions. 

A  few  growers  prefer  to  plant  their  trees  15  feet  apart  in  a 
row  and  place  the  rows  30  feet  apart.  This  is  a  good  plan  for  a 
permanent  orchard.  Such  a  system  of  planting  allows  the  planter 
to  grow  more  intercrop  between  the  trees  and  renders  the  cultiva- 
tion a  little  bit  easier.  When  the  trees  become  crowded  as  they 
mature,  it  will  be  easy  to  cut  out  every  other  tree  in  the  row,  thus 
leaving  the  permanent  orchard  30  feet  apart.  This  distance  is  not 
too  great  for  the  well-cared-for  peach  orchard. 

The  old  idea  that  the  peach  orchard  had  to  be  destroyed  at  the 
end  of  the  tenth  year  is  now  somewhat  out  of  fashion  in  Indiana. 
I  know  of  orchards  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  that  have  re- 
ceived intelligent  care  and  are  now  about  twenty-five  years  of  age. 

I  know  of  another  very  successful  peach  orchard  in  the  Brown 
County  district  that  was  originally  planted  as  a  mixed  orchard  of 
peaches  and  apples.  At  the  end  of  the  twelfth  year,  the  owner 
found  that  his  apple  trees  had  yielded  him  no  commercial  crops, 
vrhile  his  peach  trees  had  been  in  successful  bearing  for  several 
seasons.  As  he  saw  it,  he  could  not  afford  to  sacrifice  his  peaches 
for  a  problematical  crop  on  his  apple  trees.  Consequently,  the 
apples  that  were  originally  intended  for  the  permanent  orchard 
v/ere  destroyed  and  his  peach  trees  were  left.  During  the  past 
two  seasons,  his  wisdom  has  been  fully  demonstrated  by  the  ver\^ 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


25 


excellent  peach  crop  which  he  has  gathered.  This  orchard  is  now 
one  of  the  best  I  know  of  in  the  State  and  is  a  model  for  growers 
in  many  respects. 

Cultivation  in  the  peach  orchard  is  absolutely  necessary  from  the 
time  that  the  trees  are  planted.    No  other  tree  requires  more  thor- 


A  CULTIVATED  BLOCK    V  r  M  \^(  >\ 


26  Fourth  Annual  Report 

ough  culture  than  does  the  peach,  and  cultivation  will  do  more  for 
the  prevention  of  fungus  diseases  on  the  peach  than  almost  any- 
thing that  I  know  of.  It  is  entirely  practical  to  grow  other  crops 
between  the  rows  of  trees  before  the  trees  come  into  bearing.  Per- 
haps the  best  crops  for  this  purpose  are  those  that  are  low  growing, 
although  corn  might  be  grown  the  first  season,  after  the  planting  of 
the  trees.  I  would,  also,  suggest  that  small  fruits  be  grown  between 
the  rows  of  peaches.  Mr.  B.  F.  Mason  has  made  a  great  success  of 
his  peach  orchard  by  the  planting  of  small  fruit  plants  between  the 
rows  of  peach  trees. 


SMALL  FRUITS  GROWING   BETWEEN  THE  ROWS  AT  MASON'S  ORCHARDS. 

The  accompanying  illustration  will  give  some  idea  of  the  results 
which  may  be  expected  from  thorough  cultivation  of  the  young 
peach  trees.  The  two  photographs  were  made  from  the  same  stand- 
point, the  camera  simply  being  reversed  to  make  the  second  photo- 
graph. In  the  first  case,  the  trees  were  left  absolutely  with  no  cul- 
tivation from  the  time  that  they  were  planted.  In  the  cultivated 
plat,  the  trees  were  planted  with  raspberry  bushes  and  strawberries 
between  the  rows.  These  small  fruits  were  thoroughly  cultivated 
from  the  time  that  they  were  set  out.  As  the  pictures  indicate,  the 
uncultivated  portion  is  practically  worthless  today,  while  that  which 
has  received  care  is  an  excellent  bearing  peach  orchard  of  unusual 
size  for  its  age,  which  is  four  years.  These  photographs  were  made 
on  Mr.  Mason's  farm. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  27 

Another  grower  who  has  thoroughly  demonstrated  the  value  of 
cultivation  in  the  peach  orchard  is  Mr,  L.  V.  Hopkins  of  Maxwell, 
Ind.  Three  years  ago  Mr.  Hopkins  planted  an  orchard  of  mixed 
varieties  and  the  larger  part  of  the  orchard  has  been  cultivated 
from  the  time  that  it  was  set  out.  Another  small  corner  of  Mr. 
flopkins'  place  was  left  without  any  cultivation  at  all,  and  the  ac- 
companying photograph  gives  some  idea  of  the  difference  between 
the  cultivated  orchard  and  that  portion  which  was  neglected.  Mr. 
Hopkins  has  found  that  navy  beans  and  tomatoes  make  excellent  in- 
tercrops in  his  peach  orchard.     Both  of  these  crops  have  been 


the  well  kept  orchard  of  b.  f.  mason. 

planted  during  the  past  three  seasons  and  the  results  of  the  culti- 
vation of  the  intercrops  have  been  sufficient  to  cover  all  the  cost  of 
cultivation  and  to  yield  some  profit  besides.  The  season  of  1911 
was  the  third  growing  year  for  Mr.  Hopkins '  trees  and  some  of  the 
varieties  yielded  as  much  as  one-half  bushel  per  tree.  In  the  un- 
cultivated part,  many  of  the  trees  have  not  only  failed  to  yield  any 
fruit,  but  many  of  the  trees  are  dead,  and  those  that  remain  are 
simply  stunted  scrubs. 

As  soon  as  the  peach  orchard  comes  into  bearing  a  system  of 
permanent  cultivation  should  be  adopted,  and  all  attempts  to  grow 
commercial  crops  between  the  rows  should  be  abandoned.  An  ex- 
cellent system  to  follow  in  regard  to  permanent  cultivation  in  the 


28 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


29 


30 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


peach  orchard  is  that  practiced  by  Mr.  Mason  at  ]\Iartinsville,  Ind. 
The  orchard  is  ploughed  in  the  spring  and  is  kept  thorouglily  cul- 
tivated until  the  middle  of  August  by  being  gone  over  with  a 
spring-tooth  harrow  about  every  week  or  ten  days.  The  latter  part 
of  August  the  cover  crop  is  planted,  which  may  be  rye,  one  of  the 


THE  CROP  THAT  MR.  HOPKINS  GOT  THE  THIRD  SUMMER. 


Indiana  State  Ento:\[ologist. 


31 


clovers,  cowpeas  or  buckwheat.  This  crop  is  allowed  to  grow  and 
remain  in  the  orchard  over  winter,  and  is  ploughed  under  some 
time  the  next  spring.    No  attempt  is  made  to  profit  any  by  this  crop 


A  TKACli  TKEii;  IN  iTcJ  THiKU  isUAlMEK  AT  ilUPKlN^S'  UUCilAUD. 


which  is  grown  between  the  trees,  but  all  of  the  plant  material  is 
allowed  to  return  to  the  soil,  simply  serving  to  enrich  the  ground 
and  protect  it  in  the  winter  from  the  effects  of  the  washing  rains. 


32  Fourth  Annual  Report 


PRUNING. 


Perliaps  the  most  important  step  in  the  pruning  of  a  peach  or- 
chard is  when  the  young  trees  are  first  planted.  The  peach  trees 
as  they  come  from  the  nursery  are  anywhere  from  three  to  seven 
feet  in  height  and  probably  have  innumerable  small  branches  run- 
ning out  from  the  main  stem.  Most  of  the  old  books  on  horticulture 
give  illustrations  showing  the  proper  methods  of  pruning  such  a 
tree.  Almost  without  exception,  these  old  illustrations  show  the 
main  stem  with  a  number  of  short,  stubby  branches  left  on  it. 

Trimming  a  young  tree  in  such  a  fashion  can  not  possibly  pro- 
duce the  type  of  peach  tree  which  we  desire  in  our  orchards  today. 
It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  trees  be  headed  as  low  as  possible, 
in  order  to  render  the  work  of  spraying  and  harvesting  just  as 
easy  as  possible.  At  the  same  time,  the  tree  must  not  be  headed  too 
low  or  the  work  of  protecting  the  trunk  from  borers  (and  while 
the  tree  is  young,  from  rabbits),  will  be  entirely  too  great. 

For  most  localities  in  Indiana  it  is  best  to  trim  the  trees  when 
they  come  from  the  nursery  to  bare  stubs  about  18  inches  in  height. 
This  will  form  the  head  of  the  tree  from  12  to  18  inches  from  the 
ground,  leaving  ample  room  to  wrap  the  tree  for  protection  against 
rabbits  and  plenty  of  opportunity  for  protection  against  the  peach 
borer. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  State  I  think  that  I  would  head  the 
trees  somewhat  higher,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  heavy  snows  of 
winter  enable  the  rabbits  to  reach  higher  up  on  the  trunk.  Con- 
sequently, it  is  necessary  to  wrap  the  trees  higher  than  it  is  in  the 
central  and  south  parts  of  the  State. 

One  successful  grower  in  the  south  part  of  the  State  recom- 
mends that  the  peach  trees  be  trimmed  to  an  eight-inch  stub.  I  am 
not  in  favor  of  this  short  pruning,  owing  to  the  fact  that  many 
branches  are  developed  close  to  the  ground,  and,  as  a  result,  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  protect  such  a  tree  from  the  work  of  the  peach 
borer.  This  matter  of  protection  from  the  borer  will  be  taken  up 
in  detail  under  its  proper  heading. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  season's  growth  the  young  shoots  should 
be  cut  back  from  one-half  to  two-thirds  of  their  length.  This  is  to 
induce  the  growth  of  the  succeeding  year  to  branch  out  and  form 
a  compact  head  as  low  down  as  possible.  From  now  on  the  prun- 
ing each  year  must  be  planned  so  as  to  form  open  top,  vase  shaped 
trees.  Trees  of  this  type  are  able  to  bear  larger  loads  of  fruit  with- 
out breaking  than  are  the  straggly  trees  of  the  old  peach  orchard. 

As  a  rule,  it  is  well  to  prune  peach  trees  in  the  spring  of  the 
year,  and  the  amount  of  pruning  which  is  done  can  often  be  de- 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  33 

termined  by  the  condition  in  which  the  wood  has  been  left  by  the 
cold  weather  of  the  winter.  If  the  trees  have  been  injured  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  buds  on  the  terminal  shoots  have  been  killed,  it 
will  be  well  to  remove  large  portions  of  the  growth  of  the  preced- 
ing season.  This  will  induce  the  development  of  strong,  vigorous 
shoots  during  the  succeeding  season  of  growth  and  the  trees  wiU 
be  that  much  thriftier  for  the  next  year. 

In  case  the  trees  have  passed  through  the  winter  in  a  successful 
condition,  and  give  promise  of  bearing  a  large  fruit  crop  it  would 
be  unwise  to  reduce  the  fruit-bearing  area  to  any  considerable  ex- 
tent. Consequently,  we  can  readily  see  that  the  amount  of  prun- 
ing to  be  done  in  a  peach  orchard  must  be  determined,  to  a  certain 
extent,  by  the  condition  in  which  the  trees  go  through  the  winter. 

Last  spring  a  city  man  of  Indianapolis  purchased  an  orchard  in 
Brown  County.  The  peach  trees  had  been  neglected  for  a  number 
of  years  and  were  badly  overgrown,  many  of  the  trees  interlocking 
with  their  neighbors.  In  this  particular  orchard  there  were  very 
few  fruit  buds,  indicating  that  the  crop  of  fruit  would  be  light, 
and  I  suggested  to  the  new  owner  that  he  "dehorn"  the  trees.  He 
did  not  understand  the  term  and  I  volunteered  to  demonstrate 
what  I  meant  if  he  would  get  me  a  saw.  I  removed  practically  the 
whole  top  of  the  tree,  leaving  only  some  bare  stubs  about  six  or 
seven  feet  from  the  ground.  The  owner  of  the  tree  begged  me  to 
desist  from  any  further  demonstration  as  he  was  sure  that  the 
tree  had  been  ruined,  but  after  talking  with  him  about  the  middle 
of  the  summer,  I  learned  that  the  tree  which  was  apparently  butch- 
ered last  spring  is  now  the  best  looking  tree  in  the  entire  orchard, 
and  he  proposes  to  treat  the  balance  of  the  trees  in  the  same  way 
next  season.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  process  of  dehorning  is  an 
exceedingly  valuable  one  in  the  peach  orchard. 

I  know  of  one  orchard  in  Harrison  County  that  has  been  kept 
in  successful  bearing  for  nearly  25  years  by  the  judicious  use  of 
this  practice.  The  accompanying  illustrations  will  show  the  excel- 
lent head  that  the  tree  grows  after  being  cut  back  in  the  way  that 
I  have  indicated.  The  pictures  will,  also,  illustrate  the  extent  of 
cutting  back  that  is  necessary  to  produce  such  growth.  Peach 
trees  cut  back  in  this  manner  will  usually  bear  fruit  on  the  new 
growth  the  season  following  that  in  which  they  are  cut  back. 

It  is  often  desirable  in  an  old,  neglected  orchard  to  head  back 
about  every  other  row  of  trees,  leaving  the  intermediate  rows  to 
bear  fruit  during  the  year  when  the  dehorned  trees  are  growing 
the  new  top. 

[3— 28403J 


34 


Fourth  Axxual  Report 


READY  FOR  THE  FIRST  SPRAYING 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  35 

.  SPRAYING. 

During  the  last  few  years  peach  growers  have  come  to  recognize 
the  fact  that  it  is  just  as  necessary  to  spray  their  orchards  sys- 
tematically as  it  is  to  spray  apple  orchards.  Formerly  it  was  pos- 
sible to  grow  peaches  with  practically  no  care  along  the  line  of 
spraying— fruit  was  perfect  without  any  attention.  Recently, 
however,  a  number  of  plant  diseases  have  become  common  and 
have  rendered  it  impossible  to  "grow  perfect  peaches  without  the 
application  of  a  spray  solution  several  times  during  the  growing 
season. 

In  many  sections,  the  peach  leaf  curl  has  become  so  serious  that 
it  requires  a  special  treatment  of  its  own.  San  Jose  scale,  while 
having  but  little  effect  on  the  fruit,  is  a  pest  which  must  be  com- 
bated in  many  peach  orchards  and  requires  thorough  spraying 
once  each  year  in  orchards  where  it  becomes  established.  For  the 
convenience  of  the  grower,  I  have  formulated  a  spraying  schedule 
— not  a  "spray  calendar"  in  any  sense  of  the  word — but  simply 
fi  spraying  schedule  which  can  be  followed  throughout  the  season 
and  which  will  guide  the  grower  in  the  prevention  of  a  large  ma- 
jority of  the  peach  diseases  and  insects  which  are  liable  to  occur 
in  Indiana  orchards.  Some  diseases  and  some  insects  must  receive 
special  treatment  and  are  not  included  in  this  spray  outline,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  they  are  not  universally  prevalent  throughout  the 
State, 

SPRAY  SCHEDULE. 

First.  This  application  is  made  before  the  buds  open  and 
while  they  are  still  practically  dormant.  This  spraying  is  to  pre- 
vent the  disease  known  as  peach  leaf  curl — a  fungous  disease  af- 
fecting the  leaves  and  which  is  carried  over  the  winter  in  the  form 
of  spores  located  on  the  twigs.  This  spraying,  like  all  others,  must 
be  exceedingly  thorough  if  good  results  are  to  follow.  The  solu- 
tion recommended  is  either  a  Bordeaux  solution  made  with  6 
pounds  of  copper  sulphate,  4  pounds  of  lime  and  50  gallons  of 
water,  or  a  lime  and  sulphur  solution  made  as  follows :  15  pounds 
of  lime,  15  pounds  of  sulphur  and  50  gallons  of  water;  the  whole 
to  be  boiled  for  at  least  30  minutes.  As  a  substitute  for  this  lime 
and  sulphur  solution,  a  commercial  lime  and  sulphur  solution  may 
be  employed  which  is  made  as  follows :  Concentrated  commercial 
lime  and  sulphur,  1  gallon ;  water,  12  gallons. 

Second.  This  spray  is  applied  just  after  the  calyx  sheds  from 
the  young  peach.    It  will  be  noted  that  after  the  petals  fall  from 


36  Fourth  Annual  Report 

young  peaches,  the  small  calyx  cup  or  husk  falls  off  some  time 
later.  This  usually  happens  after  the  young  peaches  are  well 
formed  and  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  grow.  The  spraying  at  this 
time  is  to  prevent  the  work  of  the  plum  curculio  and,  also,  the 
early  infection  of  the  peach  scab.  The  solution  that  should  be 
used  at  this  time  consists  of  the  self-boiled  lime  and  sulphur  solu- 
tion made  as  follows :  8  pounds  of  lime,  8  pounds  of  sulphur  and 
50  gallons  of  water.  The  lime  and  sulphur  are  to  be  placed  in  a 
barrel  and  about  10  gallons  of  hot  water  are  to  be  added  to  them. 
This  solution  is  allowed  to  cook  for  about  20  minutes,  simply  by 
the  heat  generated  from  the  slacking  lime.  At  the  end  of  20  min- 
utes, the  additional  40  gallons  of  water  is  added  to  make  the  solu- 
tion up  to  full  strength  of  50  gallons.  To  this  50  gallons  of  lime 
and  sulphur  solution  should  be  added  1|  pounds  of  arsenate  of 
lead.  The  arsenate  of  lead  is  employed  as  a  poison  for  the  cur- 
culio and  other  leaf-eating  insects. 

Third.  This  spraying  is  simply  a  repetition  of  the  second  in 
all  respects  and  is  made  to  cover  up  any  deficiencies  of  the  second 
spraying.  It  is  possible  that  if  the  second  spraying  be  applied 
very  thorougMy  over  a  large  area  that  the  third  spraying  might 
be  omitted;  but  these  ideal  conditions  are  hardly  obtainable  in 
any  peach  orchard  in  Indiana.  Consequently,  this  third  spraying 
is  recommended.  It  is  applied  ten  days  or  two  weeks  after  the 
second  spraying. 

Fourth.  This  spraying  is  made  at  about  the  time  the  peaches 
start  to  color,  and  on  some  of  the  early  ripening  varieties  this 
fourth  spraying  may  be  omitted.  On  all  main  crop  sorts  and  late 
varieties,  the  spraying  should  be  applied  without  fail.  It  is  de- 
signed primarily  to  prevent  further  infection  of  the  peach  scab 
and  to  prevent  the  development  of  the  fungus  which  produces  the 
brown  rot  on  the  peach.  The  self-boiled  lime  and  sulphur  should 
he  employed,  but  the  arsenate  of  lead  may  be  omitted  at  this  time. 
It  will  be  noted  that  in  the  last  three  sprayings  the  self -boiled  lime 
and  sulphur  solution  has  been  recommended.  The  commercial 
lime  and  sulphur  solution  has  not  given  entire  satisfaction  as  a 
summer  spray  for  peaches,  although  it  is  aU  that  we  can  desire  as 
a  fungicide  in  the  apple  orchard.  In  a  few  cases  the  commercial 
lime  and  sulphur  solution  has  yielded  splendid  results  on  peach 
trees  and  has  produced  absolutely  no  injury,  but  on  other  orchards 
considerable  injury  has  resulted.  Last  spring  some  of  the  apple 
orchardists  in  Indiana  who  had  been  well  pleased  with  the  use  of 
the  commercial  lime-sulphur  solution  on  their  apples  tried  the  same 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  37 

solution  on  the  peach  trees,  using  a  dilution  of  one  to  forty  (1-40). 
I  know  of  a  number  of  cases  where  this  strength  was  used  and  ab- 
solutely no  damage  resulted  to  the  peach  trees.  On  the  other 
hand,  I  have  a  report  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  United  States 
where  a  dilution  of  one  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  (1-125)  re- 
sulted in  complete  defoliation  of  the  trees.  It  will  be  seen  that 
there  is  much  to  be  learned  regarding  the  behavior  of  these  com- 
mercial lime-sulphur  solutions. 

VARIETIES. 

In  the  following  list  of  varieties,  I  have  tried  to  include  those 
that  were  best  adapted  for  commercial  growing  in  Indiana.  I  have, 
no  doubt,  left  out  quite  a  number  of  varieties  that  are  favorites 
with  some,  but  the  following  list  includes  the  sorts  that  are  recom- 
mended by  the  largest  number  of  successful  growers  in  this  State. 
I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  including  one  or  two  new  varieties  that 
have  originated  in  Indiana  and  that  give  more  or  less  promise  of 
being  successful  commercial  sorts.  The  peach  is  not  a  fruit  that 
adapts  itself  to  new  conditions,  and  very  often  the  sorts  which 
originate  in  a  locality  prove  to  be  valuable  commercial  varieties 
for  that  section.  This  is  notably  true  of  the  peach  known  as  the 
Burgess  Cling  or  the  Hoosier  Cling,  which  will  be  discussed  more 
fully  under  its  proper  heading.  The  following  list  of  varieties  is 
arranged  in  the  order  in  which  the  peaches  ripen.  Each  descrip- 
tion will  be  followed  by  initials  which  indicate  the  section  of  the 
State  where  the  variety  will  be  expected  to  do  the  best,  the  initials 
S.,  C.  and  N.  being  used  to  indicate  south,  central  and  north  sec- 
tions. All  of  the  peaches  described  are  free  stones  except  where 
the  word  cling  is  included  as  a  portion  of  the  name  of  the  variety : 

Mountain  Rose. — This  is  one  of  the  very  best  early  varieties 
which  can  be  grown  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  for  market 
purposes.  The  fruit  is  quite  large,  round  and  entirely  free.  The 
flesh  is  white  and  exceedingly  juicy  and  of  fine  quality.  In  color, 
the  skin  of  the  peach  is  white  with  a  red  blush  on  the  side  next  to 
the  sun.  The  variety  originated  in  New  Jersey,  but  has  shown 
itself  to  be  adapted  to  our  southern  Indiana  hills.  Some  of  the 
finest  fruit  I  have  ever  eaten  were  Mountain  Rose  peaches  grown  in 
the  hills  of  Brown  County.    S. 

Champion. — By  many  growers  the  Champion  is  regarded  as  the 
best  early  market  peach.  The  fruit  is  very  large,  the  skin  is  creamy 
white  with  a  red  cheek  next  to  the  sun.     The  flesh  is  white,  juicy. 


38  Fourth  Annual  Report 

and  the  quality  is  excellent.  This  is  one  of  the  hardiest  varieties 
that  we  have  among  the  early  peaches.  The  variety  originated  in 
Illinois  and  is  adapted  to  practically  all  sections  of  the  State,  being 
one  of  the  extremely  valuable  varieties  for  its  season. 

Old  Mixon  Free. — This  hardy  peach  is  popular  with  a  great 
many  growers.  The  fruit  is  large,  slightly  oval  in  shape  and  some- 
what lopsided.  The  skin  is  pale  yellow  marked  with  red ;  the  flesh 
tender  and  rich  with  a  deep  red  color  at  the  stone.  This  is  one  of 
the  valuable  main  crop  peaches  and  has  shown  itself  to  be  a  valu- 
able sort  for  southern  Indiana,  although  it  is  sufficiently  hardy  to 
be  planted  throughout  the  State.    N.  C.  S. 

Stump. — This  variety  is  very  similar  to  the  Old  Mixon  Free, 
but  ripens  a  little  later.  It  is  also  a  valuable  market  sort  and  can 
be  planted  to  follow  up  the  preceding.    N.  C.  S. 

Crawford's  Early. — This  variety  is  almost  universally  recom- 
mended by  growers  throughout  Indiana.  The  fruit  is  very  large, 
oval  in  shape  with  sharp  pointed  apex.  The  skin  is  yellow  marked 
with  red.  In  quality,  the  early  Crawford  is  subacid  and  juicy. 
As  a  general  thing,  this  sort  has  shown  itself  to  be  a  good  bearer 
and  very  reliable — producing  crops  of  fruit  when  other  varieties 
failed.  It  is  recommended  especially  as  an  excellent  market  sort  for 
the  entire  State.    The  variety  originated  in  New  Jersey.    N.  C.  S. 

Crawford's  Late. — This  large  yellow  peach  has  not  so  good  a 
record  as  the  Crawford's  Early  and  is  not  recommended  for  wide 
planting  in  Indiana.  A  few  growers  still  regard  it  as  a  choice 
sort,  and  continue  to  plant  a  certain  portion  of  the  trees.  The 
variety  also  originated  in  New  Jersey. 

Elberla. — The  Elberta  has  been  termed  the  Ben  Davis  of  the 
peach  tribe.  In  quality,  the  fruit  is  not  so  good  as  many  other 
peaches,  but  the  variety  is  exceedingly  reliable,  and  as  a  rule  the 
Elberta  trees  will  bear  when  everything  else  fails.  The  tree  is 
a  strong  grower  and  quite  hardy.  The  fruit,  while  of  medium 
size,  is  usually  of  an  attractive  color,  being  yellow  with  a  blush 
on  the  sunny  side.  The  flesh  is  tender  and  juicy  although  the 
quality  is  not  the  best. 

One  thing  which  makes  the  Elberta  a  valuable  market  sort  is 
the  fact  that  the  hiiit  can  be  picked  green  and  will  ripen  off  the 
trees.  This  one  fact  has  made  the  Elberta  one  of  the  most  profit- 
able varieties  in  this  and  other  States.     N.  C.  S. 

Smock. — This  variety  is  another  sort  that  originated  in  New 
Jersey.  It  ripens  late,  the  fruit  is  large,  oval  in  shape;  the  skin 
is  yellow  marked  with  red.     The  flesh  of  the  Smock  is  yellow  and 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  39 

the  center  next  to  the  stone  is  red.  The  quality  of  the  peach  is  not 
so  good  as  some,  but  the  fact  that  it  is  reliable  has  made  it  a  good 
sort  for  the  market.    N.  C.  S. 

Sahvay. — This  peach  of  English  origin  has  developed  into  one 
of  the  very  best  varieties  for  growing  in  Indiana.  The  fruit  is 
large,  roundish  in  shape  with  a  yellow  skin  blushed  with  red.  The 
flesh  is  yellow  and  the  center  is  red.  In  quality,  the  Salway  is  one 
of  the  best,  the  flesh  being  sweet,  juicy  and  of  fine  flavor.  Alto- 
gether, this  is  probably  the  very  best  late  peach  that  we  have,  for 
it  is  not  only  fine  in  quality  but  sufficiently  firm  to  make  it  an 
excellent  shipper.  It  is  especially  recommended  for  the  central 
and  southern  parts  of  the  State. 

Engle's  Mammoth — This  peach  is  recommended  by  some 
growers  for  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  it  having  developed 
quite  a  reputation  among  the  peach  orchards  in  Michigan.  It  is 
especially  prized  as  a  peach  for  canning  purposes  and  is  recom- 
mended for  this  purpose.  The  peach  is  large  with  a  red  cheek: 
tlie  quality  is  excellent.    N. 

Kalamazoo. — This  variety  originated  in  Kalamazoo,  and  at- 
tracted attention  by  bearing  regular  crops  of  large  fruit  of  highest 
quality  in  a  locality  where  the  peach  is  considered  a  failure.  It  is 
a  wonderfully  strong  grower,  bears  full  loads  of  fruit  at  two  years 
old,  and  sets  an  enormous  amount  of  fruit.  Its  size  equals  Early 
Crawford,  more  uniform  but  small;  superb  quality,  flesh  thick, 
and  yellow  in  color.  The  skin  is  golden  yellow  with  light  crimson 
cheek.    The  fruit  ripens  between  the  Early  and  Late  Crawford. 

Hoosier  Cling. — This  variety  should  be  known  as  the  Burgess 
Cling  having  originated  on  Mr.  Burgess's  farm  near  DePauw,  In- 
diana. Mr.  Burgess's  description  of  the  peach  follows:  "It  orig- 
inated on  the  Burgess  farm,  hence  the  name.  It  has  been  in  exist- 
ence for  forty-five  or  fifty  years,  and  is  a  white  meated  peach  with 
a  blush  on  one  side.  It  varies  in  size  from  2^  to  3  inches  in  di- 
ameter. For  canning  purposes  it  is  one  of  the  best  if  not  the  best 
in  the  world.  It  keeps  well  in  shipping.  It  is  an  excellent  bearer, 
is  of  fine  flavor,  sweet  and  juicy.  It  ripens  about  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember and  is  a  well  known  peach  in  Harrison  and  adjoining 
counties. ' ' 

Heath  Cling.— This  white  peach  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  its 
season,  which  is  late,  but  unfortunately  it  is  not  a  dependable 
bearer  and  can  not  be  recommended  for  commercial  planting.  In 
some  sections  of  the  south,  however,  it  has  proved  to  be  a  good 
commercial  sort. 


40 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Hopkins  Favorite.  This  name  has  been  given  to  a  peach  that 
seems  to  have  originated  with  Mr.  L.  V.  Hopkins,  of  Maxwell,  In- 
diana. The  fruit  is  of  medium  size,  well  colored  and  quite  free. 
Though  new,  it  promises  to  be  a  good  market  peach  for  the  central 
Indiana  section,  where  it  originated. 


.^  I  A\OKlTE' 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  THE  PEACH. 

Professor  A.  L.  Quaintance  of  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture  states  tliat  190  species  of  insects  attack  the  peach. 
Comparatively  few  of  these,  however,  are  of  any  importance;  but 
those  few  produce  an  injury  of  several  million  dollars  per  annum. 
During  the  last  few  years,  the  more  important  insects  affecting 
the  peach  have  apparently  increased  in  number,  and  as  a  result 
peach  growing  has  not  yielded  the  profit  which  was  formerly  cred- 
ited to  that  industry.  Wliile  the  insects  affecting  the  peach  can  not 
be  controlled  with  the  same  ease  that  the  insects  affecting  the 
apple  can  be  controlled,  they  can  be  held  in  check  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  the  business  of  growing  peaches  still  remains  one  of  the 
most  profitable  branches  of  horticulture.  The  intelligent,  careful 
grower  need  not  hesitate  to  plant  peach  orchards,  provided  he  is 
willing  to  enter  into  the  matter  in  a  scientific  way  and  is  prepared 
to  fight  the  various  injurious  insects  from  the  time  that  the  or- 
chard is  planted. 


1^' 


\ 


COCOONS  AND  PUPAE  OF  THE  PEACH  BORER. 

INSECTS  AFFECTING  THE  TREES.      • 
Peach  Borer — (Sanninoidea  exitiosa.) 
The  peach  borer  is  recognized  as  the  most  injurious  insect  af- 
fecting the  peach  tree  that  we  have  to  combat.    It  is  a  native  in- 
sect and  the  injury  which  it  causes  annually  mounts  into  the 

(41) 


42  Fourth  Annual  Report 

thousands  of  dollars.  "Its  native  food  plant  is  thought  to  have 
been  the  wild  cherry  and  possibly,  also,  the  wild  plum.  With  the 
introduction  of  the  peach  by  the  early  settlers,  this  plant  soon  be- 
came its  favorite  food,  and  complaints  of  its  destructiveness  are 
frequent  in  our  early  horticultural  literature.  It  is  now  known  to 
infest  various  cultivated  varieties  of  stone  fruit,  the  apricot, 
nectarine,  prune  and  plum,  but  it  is  preeminently  destructive  to 
the  peach."     (A.  L.  Quaintanee.) 


LARVA  OF  PEACH  BORER. 

( Natural  size  ) 

The  borers  will  attack  the  peach  tree  at  any  age,  but  as  a  rule, 
are  more  destructive  to  the  young  trees.  This  is  due,  probably, 
to  the  fact  that  the  young  trees,  being  smaller,  are  more  seriously 
injured  by  the  work  of  the  insects,  than  are  the  large,  vigorous 
trees  that  are  in  the  older,  well  cared  for  orchards.  One  or  two 
borers  in  a  one-year-old  tree  can  very  easily  kill  the  tree,  while  old 
trees  sometimes  manage  to  live  even  when  they  harbor  as  many  as 
fifty  or  sixty  separate  insects.  The  peach  borer  usually  attacks  the 
tree  at  or  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  the  grub  or  larva  ex- 
cavates a  burrow  just  under  the  bark  in  the  growing  tissues.  The 
peach  tree  usually  exudes  quite  a  quantity  of  gum  at  the  point  of 
the  injury  in  an  effort  to  overcome  the  effect  of  the  borer.  In  wet 
weather,  this  mass  of  gum  sometimes  swells  to  considerable  size 
and  in  badly  infested  young  trees  I  have  seen  a  quantity  of  gum 
equal  to  about  a  quart  laying  around  the  tree  at  the  surface  of  the 
ground. 

The  insect  is  very  often  met  with  in  the  nursery  and  the 
planter  of  the  peach  trees  should  examine  his  stock  for  its  pres- 
ence. No  tree  should  be  planted  which  might  be  suspected  of  har- 
boring peach  borers,  and  any  badly  injured  treas  should  be  re- 
jected. No  reputable  grower  will  send  out  peach  trees  that  have 
been  badly  injured  by  this  pest  or  that  are,  by  any  chance,  infested 
with  the  insect. 

Several  years  ago,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  refuse  a  certifi- 
cate for  the  sale  of  a  large  block  of  peach  trees  grown  by  one  of 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


43 


the  large  nurseries  in  this  State  but  whose  headquarters  were  in 
Ohio.  In  my  examination  of  the  stock  in  the  field,  I  was  unable 
to  find  any  trees  that  were  not  affected  with  the  borers,  and  con- 
demned the  entire  block.     Later  the  proprietor  of  the  nursery  in- 


•h4 


PEACH  BORER  ENLARGED. 


formed  me  that  he  had  about  a  carload  of  trees  dug  that  he  was 
sure  were  entirely  free  from  the  insect  and  requested  that  a  special 
inspection  be  made  of  this  particular  car  lot.  I  made  a  special  in- 
spection of  the  trees  in  his  packing  house  and  condemned  about 


PEACH    TREE    WITH    EARTH    HILLED    UP   AS   A    PREVENTATIVE    OF 
BORER  INJURY. 


44  Fourth  Annual  Report 

20  per  cent,  of  those  that  he  had  pronounced  absolutely  free  from 
borers.  Of  this  20  per  cent.,  all  of  the  trees  were  girdled  more 
than  50  per  cent,  of  the  distance  around  the  stem.  Some  trees  that 
were  only  slightly  injured  were  allowed  to  pass  in  this  lot,  after 
the  borers  had  been  carefully  dug  out  and  destroyed.  This  lot 
of  condemned  trees  had  already  passed  inspection  by  the  Ohio  in- 
spector and  the  owner  was  somewhat  indignant  at  the  thoroughness 
of  the  Indiana  inspection. 

About  three  years  ago  I  visited  the  orchard  of  Mr.  John  Bill- 
heimer  in  Brown  County,  and  was  very  much  surprised  to  find 
that  no  preventive  measures  had  been  taken  to  prevent  the  work 
of  the  peach  borer  and  that  no  work  was  being  done  to  dig  out  the 
grubs  that  might  be  in  the  trees.  The  owner  informed  me  that 
he  did  not  believe  that  he  had  any  peach  borers  in  his  orchard, 
but  a  very  slight  examination  was  sufficient  to  reveal  the  presence 
of  borers  in  practically  every  tree  on  the  place.  In  this  orchard 
I  saw  what  I  believe  to  be  the  worst  cases  of  peach  borers  that  I 
have  ever  seen  in  young  trees.  Some  of  the  trees  were  already 
dead  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  but  their  death  had  been  attributed 
to  other  causes.  The  planter  of  a  young  orchard  can  not  be  too 
careful  in  the  selection  of  his  stock  and  in  the  care  of  it  after  it  is 
planted.  No  tree  should  be  planted  that  is  not  absolutely  perfect 
in  every  way  and  in  ordering  trees  from  a  nursery,  this  point 
should  be  made  perfectly  clear  to  the  owner  of  the  nursery  before 
the  order  is  given. 

Life  History. — The  peach  borer  winters  in  the  larval  stage  and 
most  of  the  grubs  remain  in  their  channels  under  the  bark.  Some 
of  the  smaller  worms  come  to  the  surface  and  construct  cells  in 
which  they  hibernate  during  the  winter.  Early  in  the  spring  the 
larvae  start  eating  again  and  pupate  about  May  the  first.  The 
pupal  condition  lasts  about  one  month,  the  adults  beginning  to 
emerge  early  in  June,  and  continue  to  emerge  until  about  the 
middle  of  September.  This  accounts  for  the  fact  that  we  ordinarily 
find  the  worms  present  in  the  peach  tree  in  various  sizes  during 
the  spring  and  fall.  There  is  but  one  brood  each  year.  The  eggs 
are  laid  from  early  summer  until  September.  The  single  brood 
does  not  all  appear  at  one  time  and,  in  effect,  we  have  innumerable 
overlapping  broods  appearing  throughout  the  summer.  The  long 
period  of  egg  laying  makes  the  insect  that  much  more  difficult  to 
control.  The  eggs  are  laid  on  the  trunks  of  the  trees  and  as  soon 
as  the  young  larvae  hatch  they  at  once  burrow  beneath  the  bark 
and  begin  feeding  on  the  tender  tissues. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  45 

A  great  many  preventatives  have  been  tried,  but  very  few  of 
them  have  shown  to  be  of  any  value.  Practically  all  of  the  pre- 
ventatives in  the  nature  of  solutions  sprayed  on  the  trees  have  not 
only  failed  to  accomplish  any  good  results  but  some  of  them  have 
been  positively  injurious.  Practically  the  only  method  of  control- 
ling this  injurious  insect  is  to  cut  out  and  destroy  the  borers  each 
spring. 

Some  growers  practice  the  worming  of  the  trees,  as  they  call  it, 
in  both  the  spring  and  fall  and  supplement  their  work  by  mound- 
ing up  the  earth  around  the  trees  in  the  first  part  of  June  and 
allow  the  earth  to  remain  until  September.  This  mound  of  earth 
should  be  about  a  foot  high  and  it  serves  to  cause  the  borers  to 
enter  the  tree  higher  up  than  they  ordinarily  would.  When  the 
earth  is  removed  in  September  the  work  of  the  young  borers  can 
readily  be  seen  and  they  can  be  dug  out  at  that  time  and  destroyed, 
thus  greatly  reducing  the  labor  of  worming  the  trees.  This  method 
of  control  has  given  entire  satisfaction  in  a  large  number  of  In- 
diana orchards. 

The  sources  of  infestation  should  be  looked  after  as  closely  as 
possible  and  any  badly  neglected  and  infested  trees  in  the  neigh- 
borhood should  be  removed. 

Lesser  Peach  Borer — (Aegeria  pictipes.) 

This  borer  is  similar  to  the  last,  but  the  moth  is  somewhat 
smaller  and  attacks  the  trunk  and  larger  branches.  It  is  not  a 
serious  pest  in  a  well  cared  for  orchard  and  has  been  reported  from 
only  a  very  few  places  in  Indiana.  Wherever  it  occurs,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  employ  the  same  methods  for  its  eradication  as  have  been 
recommended  for  the  control  of  the  peach  borer. 

Fruit  Tree  Bark  Beetle — (Scolytus  rugulosis.) 

This  small,  black  beetle  bores  a  hole  in  the  bark  and  digs  out  a 
brood  chamber  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length  and  usually 
parallel  with  the  tree.  In  this  brood  chamber  the  eggs  are  laid 
and  the  young  grubs  make  feeding  tunnels  at  right  angles  with  the 
brood  chamber.  In  this  way  the  tree  is  soon  girdled.  There  are 
several  generations  of  the  insect  annually  and  when  it  attacks  a 
tree  it  usually  makes  short  work  of  it.  It  is  not  an  insect  to  be 
feared  by  the  careful  grower,  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  never  at- 
tacks a  perfectly  healthly  tree,  but  only  trees  that  have  been 
weakened  by  some  other  cause. 


46 


Fourth  Axnual  Report 


'^^ 


WORK  OF  THE  FRUIT  TREE  BARK  BEETLE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  47 

When  the  young  beetles  first  aftack  the  tree  the  evidence  of 
their  work  is  to  be  found  in  masses  of  gum  which  are  exuded  along 
the  branches  where  they  are  working.  Later  when  the  adults 
emerge  from  the  tree  they  come  out  through  a  round,  circular 
hole  about  the  size  of  a  number  8  shot,  and  a  badly  infested  tree 
has  the  appearance  of  having  been  shot  with  a  shotgun.  When- 
ever the  insect  is  found  to  be  at  work  in  the  tree  the  weakening 
cause  Avhich  led  to  the  infestation  by  the  fruit  tree  l)ark  beetle 
should  be  sought  for  and,  if  possible,  removed. 

It  is  doubtful,  however,  if  any  tree  can  be  saved  which  is  once 
attacked  by  these  small  beetles,  and  when  their  presence  is  noted 
the  tree  should  be  cut  and  burned  at  once.  The  burning  should 
not  be  neglected.  It  is  not  sufficient  simply  to  cut  the  tree  and  let 
it  lay  on  the  ground,  for  it  will  continue  to  be  an  excellent  breed- 
ing place  for  the  beetles,  and  it  is  entirely  possible  to  imagine  a 
condition  wherein  this  beetle  might  attack  practically  healthy 
trees,  should  the  insects  occur  in  sufficient  numbers  and  find  no 
suitable  breeding  place  in  the  shape  of  weakened  trees. 

For  San  Jose  Scale  and  other  scale  insects,  see  article  on  ' '  Scale 
Insects  of  Indiana." 

Plum  Curculio — (Conotraehelus  nenuphar.) 

This  insect  and  its  close  relative,  the  apple  curculio,  are  the 
two  worst  enemies  to  fruit  growers  in  Indiana.     The  injury  caused 


t 


0- 


EFFECT  OF  PLUM  CURCULIO. 

is  not  only  severe  but  exceedingly  difficult  to  control.  The  plum 
curculio  attacks  not  only  the  plum  but,  to  a  very  large  extent,  the 
peach,  the  various  other  stone  fruits,  and  frequently  the  apple. 

In  controlling  it  in  an  orchard,  it  is  necessary  to  employ  va- 
rious means.     Clean  culture  in  the  orchard  will  go  a  long  ways 


48 


FouETii  Annual  Report 


fLUM  SHOWING  CHARACTERISTIC  INJURY  OF  THE  CURCULIO. 
(After  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.) 


L 


9 


FKACHES  SHOWING  V\ORK  OF  CURCULIO. 
(After  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.) 


IndIzVna  State  Entomologist.  49 

toward  preventing  injury  from  this  beetle  as  the  adults  hibernate 
during  the  winter  in  rubbish  laying  on  the  ground. 

In  some  sections  jarring  the  trees  is  practiced  to  collect  the 
adult  beetles  before  they  begin  to  lay  their  eggs  in  the  spring.  In 
this  work  a  curculio  catcher  is  employed,  which  consists  simply  of 


L 

PLUM  CURCULIO  AT  WORK  ON  A  YOUNG  PEACH. 
After  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.) 

a  sheet  spread  on  the  ground  and  a  long  padded  pole  with  which 
the  trees  are  jarred.  The  beetles  have  a  habit  of  "playing  pos- 
sum" when  they  are  disturbed  and  as  soon  as  the  tree  is  jarred 
they  let  go  all  hold  and  fall  to  the  ground,  where  they  are  readily 
gathered  up  in  the  sheet  and  destroyed.  Various  forms  of  curculio 
catchers  have  been  devised  and  a  few  simple  forms  are  illustrated 
herewith.  The  adult  is  known  to  be  a  very  scant  feeder  in  the 
spring  of  the  year  and,  theoretically,  spraying  with  any  arsenical 
poison  will  not  greatly  benefit  the  situation.  It  is  a  well  known 
fact,  however,  that  sprayed  orchards  are  far  freer  from  curculio 
injury  than  orchards  that  are  not  sprayed. 

From  practical  experience  in  the  matter,  I  believe  that  I  would 
about  as  soon  trust  to  control  this  insect  with  spraying  as  with  the 
jarring  method  practiced  so  widely  in  some  other  sections.    Spray- 

[4—284031 


50 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


ing  and  cultivation  have  accomplished  so  much  in  our  orchards  in 
other  ways  that  I  have  great  confidence  in  the  ultimate  success  of 
these  measures  in  the  control  of  this  rather  difficult  pest. 

Life  History. — The  curculio  winters  in  the  adult  stage.     The 


PEACH  SHOWING  LARVA  OF  PLUM  CURICULIO. 
(After  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.^ 


(After  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


51 


fAfter  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr 


'ERFIX'T  CLLTI\  ATIU-X  LL:A^  E.S  NO  PLACE  FOR  THE  CURCULIO. 


52 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


beetle  is  a  stout,  heavily  built  insect  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
or  less  in  length;  dark  grey  in  color  and  marked  with  white  and 
black.  There  are  four  prominent  humps  on  the  wing  cover  which 
serve  to  distinguish  the  beetle  from  any  other  snout  beetle  in  the 
orchard.  The  adult  beetles  become  active  at  the  approach  of  spring 
and  egg  laying  starts  when  the  young  fruit  has  set.  The  adults 
cut  crescent-shaped  slits  in  the  fruit  and  the  eggs  are  laid  in  this 


EFFECT  OF  CODLING  MOTHilN  PEACH. 

crescent-shaped  slit,  so  that  the  young  larva  is  entirely  out  of  the 
way  of  any  arsenical  poison  as  soon  as  it  hatches.  The  eggs  hatch 
in  about  a  week,  though  this  time  varies  according  to  the  season. 


YOUNG  PEACH  BUGS  SHOWING   DIFFERENT  SIZES  IN 

THE  DEVELOPMENT. 

Adult  shown  in  another  picture. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  53 

The  larva  is  a  "slightly  reddish  white  grub,  with  rather  sparse, 
bristling,  yellowish  brown  hair  and  a  small,  yellowish  brown  head. 
It  is  nearly  one-half  inch  in  length  and  is  quite  active."  (J.  B. 
Smith.) 

The  first  adults  emerge  in  July  and  almost  at  once  fall  to  the 
ground  where  they  remain  the  balance  of  the  summer,  and  through- 
out the  winter. 


f 


a    '-true  BUG"  THAT  INJURES  PEACHES. 

(Nazara  hilaris  Say.) 

This  insect  was  found  doing  considerable  damage  to  growing  peaches  i 

Indianapolis  during  the  summer  of  1911. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  PEACH. 

Under  this  heading  will  be  discussed  the  various  fungous  and 
bacterial  diseases  of  the  peach  trees  and  also  the  disease  known 
as  the  Peach  Yellows,  which  is  not  strictly  a  bacterial  disease  but 
which  can  not  properly  come  under  any  other  heading  than  the 
above. 

DISEASES    AFFECTING    THE    TREE. 

Peach  Yellotvs. — After  twenty  years  of  scientific  investigation, 
the  disease  known  as  Peach  Yellows  remains  today  practically  as 
much  of  an  enigma  as  it  was  two  decades  ago.  We  are  able  to 
recognize  the  symptoms  of  the  disease  with  more  or  less  accuracy 
and  we  know  that  trees  which  are  attacked  never  recover,  and  that 
the  only  means  of  preventing  the  further  spread  of  the  trouble  is 
to  cut  out  and  bum  all  of  the  infested  trees. 

While  the  disease  is  known  to  be  infectious,  it  has  never  been 
demonstrated  that  it  was  caused  by  any  specific  organisms.  It  is 
liable  to  attack  the  tree  at  practically  any  age  from  the  young 
trees  in  the  nursery  rows  to  old  trees  in  bearing  orchards.  This 
disease  probably  had  more  influence  in  discouraging  the  peach 


54 


Fourth  Aistxual  Report 


'::^^^^ 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


55 


56 


FouETH  Annual  Report 


growers  in  southern  Indiana  fifteen  and  twenty  years  ago  than  any 
other  trouble  that  they  had  to  combat.  The  recognized  the  disease 
as  positively  fatal  and  had  absolutely  no  means  then  for  combat- 
ing it. 


The  first  effect  of  the  disease  is  to  cause  a  marked  discoloration 
of  the  leaves.  In  bearing  trees  the  fruit  ripens  prematurely  and 
is  characterized  by  bright  red  streaks  running  from  the  skin  to  the 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  57 

center  of  the  fruit.  When  the  peach  is  cut,  these  streaks  appear 
as  lines  and  dots  of  bright  red  through  the  flesh  of  the  fruit. 
Sometimes  the  peaches  on  infected  trees  will  hang  on  the  trees 
during  the  winter  in  much  the  same  fashion  that  the  mummies 
from  the  brown  rot  hang  on  the  trees.  About  the  third  year  after 
the  tree  is  attacked  it  starts  to  die  and  low  on  the  trunk  will  be 
developed  great  bunches  of  wiry,  slender  twigs.  This  condition 
is  well  illustrated  in  the  accompanying  photograph. 

Wlienever  the  disease  is  known  to  be  present  in  an  orchard,  all 
suspicious  trees  should  be  taken  out  and  burned  at  once.  It  is 
not  advisable  to  carry  the  trees  out  of  the  orchard  to  burn  them,  but 
they  should  be  cut  up  and  burned  where  they  stood  so  as  not  to 
carry  the  infection  to  any  other  portion  of  the  orchard.  Orchards 
that  are  well  cultivated  and  where  the  trees  are  kept  in  a  strong, 
vigorous  condition  are  much  less  liable  to  be  attacked  by  Peach 
Yellows  than  are  those  which  are  neglected,  not  cultivated  and  al- 
lowed to  overbear  without  fertilization  of  the  soil. 

Like  other  diseases,  Peach  Yellows  is  more  liable  to  attack  a 
weakened  tree  than  it  is  one  which  is  in  a  condition  of  perfect 
health.  This  is  simply  another  one  of  the  innumerable  reasons 
for  giving  the  orchard  thorough  cultivation  from^  the  time  that  it 
is  planted. 

It  has  been  supposed,  too,  that  the  Peach  Yellows  can  be  dis- 
seminated on  nursery  stock.  The  disease  is  rarely  ever  present 
on  nursery  stock  in  a  condition  that  can  be  accurately  diagnosed, 
so  that  the  ordinary  nursery  inspection  will  not  prevent  the  dis- 
semination of  the  diseased  trees.  In  general,  we  have  been  making 
an  effort  to  prevent  the  sale  of  peach  trees  grown  in  districts  that 
are  known  to  be  infested  with  the  Peach  Yellows.  During  the  past 
years,  several  thousand  acres  have  been  inspected  in  Indiana  and  a 
large  number  of  trees  have  been  condemned  and  cut  and  burned 
by  the  owners.  In  one  section  in  IMorgan  County  this  inspection 
work  has  resulted  in  a  renewed  enthusiasm  among  the  peach  grow- 
ers and  many  new  orchards  are  being  planted. 

Blight — ( Coryneum  Beijerinck) . 

This  is  a  fungous  disease  which  affects  the  twigs  and  is  readily 
recognized  by  the  formation  of  gum  on  the  infested  branches.  The 
fruit  buds  are  also  attacked  by  the  fungus  and  usually  killed.  The 
leaves  are  frequently  retarded  and  the  tree  is  placed  in  a  much 
weakened  condition.     The  gum  will  be  found  to  exude  from  the 


58  Fourth  Annual  Report 


EFFECTS  OF.FEACH  BLIGHT. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  59 

dead  bud  in  the  twig  and  in  general  the  appearance  is  somewhat 
like  that  produced  by  the  work  of  the  Fruit  Tree  Bark  Beetle.  By 
cutting  into  the  branch,  the  tissue  will  be  found  to  be  discolored 
and  in  various  stages  of  disorganization.  The  difference  between 
this  condition  and  the  work  of  the  Fruit  Tree  Bark  Beetle  can  be 
readily  recognized. 

While  the  disease  occurs  in  Indiana  and  I  have  observed  it  in 
a  number  of  different  localities  I  have  never  had  any  occasion  to 
spray  for  the  prevention  of  it.  In  fact,  the  trouble  has  been  studied 
for  so  short  a  time  that  but  little  experimental  work  along  the  line 
of  spraying  has  been  attempted.  In  other  States,  I  understand 
that  winter  spraying  with  a  lime-sulphur  solution  or  with  a  strong 
Bordeaux  gives  very  excellent  results.  The  winter  treatment  for 
the  San  Jose  scale  would,  therefore,  serve  the  double  purpose  of 
controlling  the  scale  and  also  preventing  the  peach  l)light. 

Crown  Gall — (Pseudomonas  tuuiefaciens). 

The  Crown  Gall  on  the  peach  is  identical  with  the  same  disease 
occurring  on  the  apple.  In  fact,  it  is  now  supposed  that  the  various 
root  galls  on  the  different  species  of  plants  are  all  attributable  to 
the  same  bacteria.  Infestation  usually  takes  place  in  the  nursery, 
and  infected  trees  have  well  developed  galls  on  the  roots  usually 
near  the  surface  of  the  ground  when  they  come  from  the  nursery. 

The  remedy  for  the  entire  trouble  lies  largely  with  the  planter 
— simply  not  to  plant  trees  that  show  injury  of  this  sort. 

This  disease  is  one  of  the  pests  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
locate  in  the  work  of  inspecting  nurseries,  since  it  occurs  usually 
below  the  soil  line.  No  reputable  nursery,  however,  will  send  out 
stock  that  is  infested  with  this  or  any  other  disease,  and  when  an 
order  for  trees  is  given  the  buyer  should  make  it  plain  that  he 
will  pay  only  for  stock  that  proves  to  be  absolutely  healthy  in 
every  respect. 

Peach  Mildew — (Sphaerotheca  pannosa). 

This  fungous  disease  is  not  one  to  give  the  peach  grower  any 
concern  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  does  not  attack  our  commercial 
sorts  to  any  extent.  The  disease  is  more  common  on  the  trees  in 
the  nursery  rows  than  in  the  orchards,  but  the  self-boiled  lime  and 
sulphur  will  entirely  prevent  it. 

The  disease  attacks  the  leaves  and  is  noticed  as  a  white  web 
growing  on  the  surface.     Defoliation  usually  follows  a  severe  at- 


60  FouETH  Annual  Report 

tack  of  the  disease.  The  variety  known  as  the  "Friday"  peach 
is  especially  liable  to  attacks  of  this  fungus.  This  is  an  inferior 
seedling  of  no  commercial  importance,  so  that  its  susceptibility  to 
the  disease  need  give  us  no  concern. 

The  mildew  is  the  same  as  the  fungus  so  common  on  the  rose, 
where  it  often  does  great  damage. 

THE  DISEASES  AFFECTING  THE  FRUIT  OR  LEAF. 

Brown  Rot — (Sclerotinia  fructigena). 

This  is  the  most  common  disease  of  the  fruit  of  the  peach.  It 
is  known  in  various  sections  under  different  names,  such  as  Brown 
Rot,  Peach  Rot,  Common  Rot  and  Monilia.  It  is  of  very  wide  dis- 
tribution and  occurs  in  all  peach  growing  sections.  As  a  rule,  the 
disease  is  worse  in  wet  seasons  than  in  dry.    Heavy  crops  also  tend 


BROWN  ROT. 


to  favor  the  development  of  the  disease  and  thinning  is  advisable 
not  only  from  the  standpoint  of  preventing  the  disease,  but  also 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  general  condition  of  the  orchard. 

Ordinarily,  the  rot  attacks  the  peach  after  the  time  when  it  is 
half  grown,  starting  as  a  brown  area  and  ultimately  involving  the 
entire  fruit.  As  the  disease  progresses  the  fruit  becomes  watery 
and  finally  shrinks  and  dries  to  a  mummy,  which  hangs  on  the 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


61 


tree  over  winter.  These  mummies  which  remain  on  the  trees  are 
the  source  of  infection  for  the  next  season,  and  it  is  necessary  to 
remove  them  carefully  in  the  early  winter  and  destroy  them  by 
burning,  or  by  burying  them  deeply.  In  case  these  mummies  are 
not  removed  from  the  trees,  the  disease  may  attack  the  blossoms 
early  in  the  spring  and  destroy  them.  This  phase  of  the  disease 
is  not  well  recognized  by  many  peach  growers  and  frequently  the 
loss  of  a  crop  is  attributed  to  frost  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 


effects  of  brown  rot. 

Peaches  dry  up  and  hang  on  trees. 


62  FouETH  Annual  Report 

it  is  due  simply  to  the  neglect  of  the  brown  rot.  In  this  ease,  the 
twigs  may  also  be  involved  and  killed.  These  may  be  prevented 
by  removing  the  mummies  in  the  winter  as  suggested,  and  if  this 
practice  could  be  followed  out  over  a  large  area  a  great  deal  of 
good  could  be  accomplished.  Unfortunately,  it  is  not  possible  to 
carry  out  such  a  measure  with  any  degree  of  uniformity  in  an  area 
of  any  size.  There  will  always  be  some  growers  who  will  fail  to 
look  after  their  trees  and  there  will  always  be  enough  neglected 
trees  to  furnish  an  abundant  supply  of  spores  to  reinfect  the  well- 
cared  for  orchards. 

Consequently,  it  will  be  necessary  to  adopt  some  spraying  meas- 
ures to  prevent  the  occurrence  of  the  trouble  on  the  fruit.  In  the 
spray  schedule  given  elsewhere  in  this  report,  there  will  be  found 
recommendation  for  what  is  known  as  the  fourth  spraying  applied 
about  the  time  when  the  fruit  begins  to  color.  This  spraying  will 
have  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  prevention  of  the  rot  on  the  fruit. 

Some  varieties  are  more  susceptible  to  this  disease  than  are 
others,  and  this  fact  has  been  recognized  in  the  selection  of  the 
sorts  recommended  for  commercial  orchards  and  published  else- 
where in  this  report. 

Peach  Scab — (Cladosporium  carpophilum). 

This  fungous  disease  is  widely  distribvited  and  occurs  in  practi- 
cally all  sections  where  peaches  are  grown.  It  affects  the  fruit, 
the  twigs  and  the  leaves.  The  effect  on  the  fruit  is  superficial,  the 
disease  producing  small,  round  spots  of  very  dark  grey  or  black. 
Ultimately,  the  entire  fruit  may  become  involved  with  this  dark, 
grey,  scabby  condition  and  in  badly  affected  specimens  the  fruit 


v4< 


peach  scab 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  63 

cracks  open.  The  disease  is  more  common  on  white  peaches  than 
on  yellow  peaches.  I  have  found  some  growers  who  have  had  the 
peach  scab  in  their  orchards  for  many  years  and  protested  that 
it  was  not  a  fungous  disease  at  all,  but  simply  "the  nature  of  the 
peach"  as  they  expressed  it. 

I  remember  visiting  one  orcliard  where  the  peaches  of  a  cer- 
tain variety  were  all  very  badly  scabbed  and  when  I  called  the 
grower's  attention  to  the  fact  he  showed  some  sui'prise  at  my 
ignorance,  as  he  thought,  of  that  variety.  "Why,"  he  said, 
"that's  the  nature  of  the  peach,  to  have  those  black  spots  on  it. 
That's  no  disease."  I  had  to  talk  to  him  for  some  time  before  I 
could  convince  him  that  he  had  one  of  the  most  serious  peach  dis- 
eases to  contend  with  and  that  he  could  prevent  all  of  it  by  thor- 
ough spraying. 

When  the  disease  attacks  the  leaf,  the  affected  areas  fall  out 
and  give  the  trees  the  appearance  of  having  been  shot  at  with  a 
shotgun.  The  disease  can  be  prevented  absolutely  by  spraying 
with  the  self-boiled  lime  and  sulphur  solution  as  indicated  in  the 
spraying  schedule  pulilished  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Peach  Leaf  Curl — (Exoascus  deformans). 

This  disease  of  the  peach  is  known  in  all  parts  of  the  world 
where  peaches  are  grown.  The  spores  are  left  on  the  twigs  during 
the  winter  and  infect  the  young  leaves  as  soon  as  they  open.  The 
leaves  are  malformed  by  the  growth  of  the  fungous  disease  and 
are  often  highly  colored.  Ultimately,  the  affected  leaves  fall  and  a 
second  crop  of  leaves  may  develop.  As  a  rule,  the  second  crop 
of  leaves  is  free  from  the  disease  but  it  frequently  comes  out  too 
late  to  be  of  any  value  in  saving  the  crop  of  fruit,  which  falls 
through  lack  of  nutrition  soon  after  the  first  crop  of  leaves  fall 
from  the  trees. 

Seedling  peaches  are  especially  susceptible  to  the  disease.  It 
can  be  completely  prevented  by  spraying  with  the  lime-sulphur 
solution  before  the  buds  open. 


64 


FouETH  Annual  Report 


NUKMAL  PEACH  FOLIAGE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


65 


^r:^■M^ 


S. 


'    fit 


PEACH  LEAF  CURL. 


[5—28403] 


ee 


ForiMii   AxxuAL  RKi'Oir 


PEACH  LEAb  CURL 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  SHADE  TREES. 


We  have  received  so  many  requests  for  information  regarding 
insects  injurious  to  shade  trees  that  I  have  decided  to  devote  a 
portion  of  this  report  to  this  matter. 

Before  discussing  in  detail  the  various  forms  injurious  to  shade 
trees  I  feel  that  it  is  proper  to  say  something  about  certain  pre- 
disposing influences  that  have  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  nature 
and  severity  of  insect  attack. 

Trees  in  cities  are  notoriously  more  liable  to  insect  injury  than 
trees  of  the  same  sort  planted  in  the  open  country.  Writers  in  the 
past  have  attempted  to  lay  this  difference  to  the  fact  that  our 
native  insect-eating  birds  were  more  numerous  in  the  country  than 
in  towns.  While  this  is  true  beyond  question,  I  feel  that  certain 
other  influences  should  not  be  overlooked. 

The  soil  and  atmospheric  conditions  in  our  cities  are  entirely 
different  from  the  country  and  as  a  result  the  city  trees  never  pos- 
sess the  same  vigor  that  characterizes  the  trees  of  the  country.  In 
most  cases  the  moisture  level  in  large  towns  has  been  lowered,  often 
several  feet,  by  the  building  of  sewers  and  the  covering  of  the  sur- 
face with  buildings  and  pavements.  The  smoke  of  factories  is  no 
small  item  in  the  changed  city  conditions  which  the  tree  must  en- 
dure. The  gases  of  combustion  if  not  actually  poisonous  at  least 
serve  to  clog  the  breathing  organs  of  the  tree  almost  to  the  point 
of  suffocation.  Added  to  these  conditions,  city  trees  have  the  in- 
fliction of  the  professional  tree  trimmer,  who  alone  is  sufficient 
excuse  to  discourage  any  but  the  most  stout  hearted.  Many  trees 
planted  along  the  curb  are  injured  by  horses  hitched  to  or  near 
them — this  is,  however,  a  form  of  damage  on  which  the  city  has 
no  monopoly. 

All  of  these  conditions  combine  to  render  the  city  trees  not  only 
more  subject  to  insects  and  disease  but  in  some  cases  to  actually 
cause  their  death  without  further  assistance.  During  the  past  few 
years  the  maples  in  Indianapolis  have  been  giving  trouble  each 
summer  by  shedding  their  leaves  prematurely  and  by  a  peculiar 
withering  and  drying  of  the  leaves.  Most  careful  examination  has 
shown  that  there  is  no  insect  or  fungous  parasite  at  work,  and  we 
have  been  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the  condition  is  one  brought 
about  by  the  change  in  the  moisture  content  of  the  soil  since  the 


6S 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


trees  were  planted.  Some  of  the  property  owners  protested  that  lack 
of  water  could  not  be  the  cause  of  injury  on  their  trees  because  they 
watered  them  frequently.  A  little  questioning  generally  brought  out 
the  fact  that  the  watering  consisted  of  a  daily  sprinkle  of  the  sur- 
face— which  really  did  more  harm  than  good  because  it  allowed  of 


TREES  KILLED  BY  GAS  IN  INDIANAPOLIS. 


the  formation  of  a  surface  crust  and  permitted  the  escape  of  water 
by  capillary  action.  If  artificial  watering  is  to  be  resorted  to  the 
trees  should  be  dug  around  and  the  soil  loosened  to  a  depth  of 
about  a  foot.  Plenty  of  water  should  be  used,  A  tree  six  inches 
in  diameter  should  have  the  soil  loosened  around  it  for  a  distance 
of  six  feet  in  all  directions.    The  roots  are  not  immediately  under 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


69 


the  trunk  but  often  extend  farther  than  the  spread  of  the  branches. 
A  tree  of  this  size  could  receive  several  barrels  of  water  at  one  time 
without  harm.     After  the  water  has  soaked  in  keep  the  surface 


i^xl 


r.r-i 


a  form  of  injury  for  which  there  is  no  excuse. 

soil  loose — do  not  allow  a  crust  to  form.  This  is  the  same  principle 
employed  in  the  cultivation  of  corn — an  operation  designed  to  keep 
the  moisture  in  the  soil  where  the  plant  can  use  it. 


70 


FOT^T^TIT    AnXUAL    RePORT 


Few  people  realize  how  much  effect  sewers  have  on  the  moisture 
content  of  the  soil  in  cities.  I  have  seen  a  very  striking  illustration 
of  the  way  in  which  sewers  work  in  draining  the  soil  in  Indianap- 


THESE  TREES  WERE  KILLED  BY  PAINTING  TAR  ON  THE  TRUNKS. 

The  sprouts  at  the  surface  of  the  ground  show  that  the  trees  were  still  vigorous  when  the 

treatment  was  applied. 


oils.  About  a  year  ago  the  city  built  a  large  sewer  in  College  ave- 
nue north  of  Fall  Creek.  During  the  dry  weather  of  the  past  sum- 
mer this  sewer  never  ran  less  than  twelve  inches  of  clear  water  and 
there  are  not  a  dozen  connections  on  it.    Such  a  drain  on  the  soil 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


71 


moisture  can  not  help  having  an  ultimate  effect  on  the  growth  of 
trees  in  the  drained  area. 

The  influence  of  the  tree  trimmer  in  increasing  the  suscepti- 
bility of  a  tree  to  insect  attack  is  often  of  more  importance  than 
would  appear  at  first  glance.  Many  trees  are  so  weakened  by 
wanton  butchery  that  thoy  become  an  easy  prey  to  the  various 


the  bark  has  been  removed  from  the  area  killed  by  painting 
tar  on  the  tree. 

This  was  on  the  south  side  where  the  tar  and  oil  remained  liquid  longer  owing  to  the 
warmth  of  the  sun. 


72 


FouETH  Annual  Repoet 


borers  that  seldom  attack  vigorous  trees.  While  this  vandalistic 
form  of  injury  is  preventable  it  is  surprising  how  many  people  con- 
tinue to  allow  the  tree  butchers  to  ruin  fine  shade  trees.    The  tree 


EARLY  STAGE  OF  BRACKET  FUNGUS  ON  HACKBERRY 


butcher  goes  on  P.  T.  Bamum's  old  assumption  that  "there  is  a 
sucker  bom  every  minute. ' '  The  truth  of  this  was  well  shown  in  In- 
dianapolis last  year  when  some  itinerant  "tree  doctor"  went  about 
painting  the  trunks  of  shade  trees  with  a  "dope"  containing  tar. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


73 


According  to  the  self-styled  expert,  the  preparation  was  absorbed 
through  the  bark  and  then  disseminated  to  all  parts  of  the  tree 
killing  any  "bugs"  that  might  be  present.  When  there  was  no 
evidence  of  any  insect  injury  the  tree  doctor  would  suggest  the 
use  of  the  tar  paint  to  "open  up  the  pores  of  the  bark  and  make 
the  tree  healthy."    It  seems  almost  too  absurd  to  believe  that  in- 


bracket  fungus  on  hackberry. 


74 


FouETH  Annual  Report 


telligent  citizens  would  be  caught  by  such  a  faker,  but  even  after 
a  series  of  newspaper  warnings  he  succeeded  in  painting  hundreds 
of  trees  throughout  the  city     The  deplorable  thing  about  it  all  is 


RESULT  OF  BRACKET  FUNGUS  ON  HACKBERRY. 


that  practically  every  tree  that  was  painted  died — and  there  ap- 
pears to  be  no  law  to  cover  the  case 

The  fact  that  insect-eating  birds  are  less  plentiful  in  cities  is 
true,  but  I  believe  that  the  conditions  are  rapidly  improving.  In- 
telligent nature  study  has  done  much  to  lessen  the  ardor  of  the 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  75 

small  boy  who  formerly  used  his  sling  shot  and  airgun  to  such 
harmful  advantage.  I  am  not  in  favor  of  any  system  of  training 
that  will  make  "sissies"  out  of  our  rising  generation,  we  will  al- 
ways have  enough  of  them  anyhow,  but  I  feel  certain  that  our 
young  boys  will  make  stronger,  better  men  if  they  are  taught  some 
of  the  simple  though  vastly  important  facts  of  nature. 

It  is  probable  too  that  the  English  sparrow  has  done  nearly  as 
much  as  the  small  boy  to  make  the  life  of  song  birds  miserable  in 
the  cities.  I  doubt,  however,  if  the  sparrow  is  as  black  as  he  has 
been  painted  and  I  sadly  fear  that  some  published  opinions  of  him 
have  been  biased  by  the  writers'  loss  of  early  morning  sleep.  I 
know  for  a  fact  that  the  English  sparrow  is  far  more  of  an  insect- 
eating  bird  than  he  has  the  credit  of  being.  I  have  observed  them 
extensively  and  bird  for  bird  I  know  that  the  English  sparrow  is 
a  more  valuable  species  from  an  entomological  standpoint  than  is 
out  well  beloved  robin.  Were  it  not  for  the  joy  the  Red  Breast 
brings  when  he  comes  to  us  with  each  returning  spring,  I  think 
that  we  could  do  without  him  very  nicely.  He  destroys  few  in- 
jurious insects,  eats  much  fruit  and  literally  gorges  himself  on  our 
soil  improving  fishing  worms. 

One  more  influence  against  the  presence  of  birds  in  cities  should 
not  go  unmentioned.  The  peaceful  (in  day  time)  house  cat  is  one 
of  the  worst  enemies  of  birds  we  have.  I  never  owned  but  one 
cat,  but  that  one  was  the  most  persistent  and  successful  hunter  I 
ever  knew,  although  she  maintained  about  the  house  an  air  of 
innocence  that  would  do  credit  to  a  saint.  Considering  the  three- 
fold objection  to  the  cat  of  being  a  destroyer  of  birds,  a  harborer  of 

"*     *     *     jumping  cattle 
In  shoals  and  nations," 

and  an  active  carrier  of  disease  germs  of  all  kinds,  is  it  not  about 
time  that  we  banished  this  medieval  pet  from  our  modern  civiliza- 
tion? I  can  hear  at  once  the  protest  of  a  certain  class  of  feminin- 
ity and  of  a  few  others  who  sincerely  believe  in  the  cat  as  a  de- 
stroyer of  mice.  This  last  argument  is  the  only  one  that  can.  be 
brought  in  favor  of  the  feline  member  of  our  households  and  I  have 
a  five  cent  mouse  trap  that  possesses  more  efficiency  in  its  capacity 
than  any  dozen  cats  that  ever  lapped  milk. 

In  spite  of  the  boys  and  the  cats  and  the  English  sparrows,  we 
can  induce  many  of  our  song  birds  to  build  near  our  homes  if  we 
will  provide  a  few  devices  to  attract  them.  A  food  supply,  clean 
water,  shelter  of  some  trees  and  a  few  nesting  boxes  will  work  won- 


76 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


ders  in  increasing  the  population  of  native  birds.  In  spring,  nest 
building  material  and  boxes  with  various  size  holes  will  attract 
wrens,  martins,  blue  birds  and  even  tufted  titmice  and  flickers; 


%?i 


r  i% 


CITY  NURSERY  AT  INDIANAPOLIS  SHOWING  PIN  OAKS  INJURED  BY  FUN- 
GOUSIDISEASE  THAT  IS  AS  YET  UNKNOWN. 


while  in  winter  many  downy  woodpeckers,  chickadees,  nut  hatches 
and  brown  creepers  will  be  attracted  by  suet  and  fat  meat  nailed 
to  a  tree  or  post. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


77 


Let  us  teach  the  small  boy  to  abandon  the  slaughter  of  song 
birds ;  banish  the  house  cat  to  extermination  and  provide  means  to 
attract  desirable  birds  to  the  cities.     If  this  program  could  be 


CITY  NURSERY  AT  INDIANAPOLIri   SHOWING  HEALTHY  PIN  OAK  TREES. 

This  nursery  is  one  of  the  best  kept  in  the  State.     It  is  managed  in  the  interests  of  the 

city  parks. 


worked  out — and  it  ultimately  will  be  worked  out — we  would  see 
a  marked  return  of  insect-eating  birds  to  our  city  trees. 

There  remains  for  consideration  only  the  influence  of  the  city 


78 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


THE  CHESTNUT  BARK  DISEASE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  79 

atmosphere  in  inducing  insect  injury  to  shade  trees.  The  smoke 
laden  air  of  our  large  towns  has  long  been  recognized  as  a  baneful 
influence  to  the  growth  of  trees,  simply  because  the  leaves  are  soon 
varnished  over  by  a  coat  of  soot.  The  leaves  are  the  breathing 
organs  of  the  tree  and  as  soon  as  the  pores  through  which  the  ex- 
change of  gases  takes  place,  become  clogged,  the  entire  tree  must 
suffer.  In  spite  of  smoke  commissions  and  municipal  orders  it 
seems  likely  that  our  larger  cities  will  continue  as  active  producers 
of  the  dense  black,  and  if  we  are  to  have  trees  in  the  smoky  parts 
of  town  we  will  either  have  to  let  them  take  their  chances  or  else 
plant  varieties  that  have  shown  themselves  to  be  smoke  resistant. 
There  are  comparatively  few  that  have  good  records  in  this  direc- 
tion and  these  few  are  not  our  most  desirable  trees  in  other  re- 
spects, but  they  will  grow  where  nothing  else  will.  Chief  of  these 
trees  is  the  despised  and  maligned  Ailanthus  which  is  destined  to  be 
one  of  our  main  street  trees  of  the  future.  IMore  will  be  snid  on 
this  point  later  on  in  the  discussion  ot'  individual  trees. 


80 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


LIST  OF  TREES. 


The  following  list  of  shade  trees  has  been  prepared  as  a  guide 
for  city  planting.  The  list  is  followed  by  a  table  giving  a  brief 
review  of  the  standing  of  the  different  trees  from  an  entomological 
and  city  resistance  standpoint. 

AlLANTHUS. 

The  Ailanthus  is  one  of  the  most  resistant  trees  that  we  have 
for  planting  along  our  city  streets.     It  is  also  one  of  the  quickest 


|«A,'I^ 


[6— 28403J 


AILANTHUS  TREES. 
(81) 


82 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


growing  shade  trees  that  we  have  and  will  produce  shade  in  less 
time  than  any  other  species  which  can  be  planted.  The  leaves  are 
large,  compound  and  are  extremely  ornamental.  The  trees  will 
grow  in  almost  any  situation  and  seem  to  delight  in  growing  in 
the  crowded  places.    AVe  often  find  them  at  their  best  in  the  densely 


THE  AILANTHUS  TAKES   ROOT  IN  CROWDED  PLACES. 


populated  portions  of  the  town  where  the  seeds  have  found  lodge- 
ment close  to  a  building  and  have  only  a  few  inches  of  space  in 
which  to  grow. 

There  are  only  two  arguments  against  the  Ailanthus  as  a  street 
tree  and  these  are  the  facts,  that  it  is  short  lived  and  during  tlie 
flowering  season  it  gives  off  an  exceedingly  bad  odor.    The  leaves 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


83 


also  possess  a  bad  odor  when  they  are  crushed.    The  Ailanthus  has 
no  insect  enemies  and  is  practically  never  attacked  by  any  fungous 


J  ill  S  Oi\    I(l-,MDi',.\CJ,  > 
(An   nsect  resistant  form.) 


parasite.  No  other  tree  would  do  so  well  in  the  down  town  dis- 
tricts in  cities  and  sooner  or  later  the  trees  must  be  planted  in 
such  locations  if  we  are  to  have  any  shade  at  all  in  such  places. 


84  Fourth  Annual  Report  ^ 

White  Ash. 

The  White  Ash  is  a  beautiful  native  forest  tree  with  exceed- 
ingly graceful  branches  and  compound  leaves.  The  foliage  is  quite 
thin  and  even  during  the  summer,  the  outlines  of  the  larger 
branches  can  be  traced  throughout  the  tree  making  it  desirable 
for  locations  where  dense  shade  is  not  desired.  The  tree  is  very 
rapid  in  growth  and  is  hardy  and  long  lived. 


THE  WHITE  ASH  IS  A  RAPIDLY  GROWING  TJ, 
The  one  in  the  picture  was  ten  feet  high  after  two  seasons  growth  iium  ihu  M;fLl. 

It  is  not  quite  so  well  adapted  to  city  conditions  as  the 
Ailanthus  but  it  does  far  better  than  the  majority  of  trees  in  the 
down  town  districts.  It  is  seldom  subject  to  insect  injury,  al- 
though sometimes  the  trees  are  attacked  by  boring  beetles.  It  is 
almost  equally  free  from  fungous  diseases  and  it  is  a  tree  which 
can  be  heartily  recommended  for  planting  along  our  city  streets. 

Buckeye. 

This  native  tree  is  a  rapid  grower  and  is  an  exceedingly  hand- 
some species,  especially  in  the  spring  of  the  year  when  the  ma- 
ture trees  are  literally  covered  with  clusters  of  pale,  yellowish- 
white  flowers. 

The  trees,  however,  are  quite  subject  to  insect  injury  and  are 
sometimes  attacked  by  a  fungous  disease  which  causes  an  early 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


85 


defoliation.  The  trees  are  not  resistant  to  city  conditions  and  al- 
together it  is  not  a  desirable  one  to  plant.  The  trees  are  espe- 
cially subject  to  the  attacks  of  the  red  spider,  the  Tussock  Moth, 
the  Lace  Bug  and  the  Putnam  Scale. 


catalpa  trees  along  city  streets. 

A  desirable  tree  because  of  its  low  habit  of  growth. 

Catalpa. 

The  Catalpa  is  a  rapidly  growing  and  picturesque  tree,  rather 
well  adapted  to  city  conditions.  Throughout  Indiana,  however, 
the  Catalpa  is  subject  to  several  insect  and  fungous  enemies  which 


86  FouETH  Annual  Repokt 

make  it  a  tree  of  doubtful  value  for  planting.  The  Catalpa 
Sphinx  Moth  has  caused  the  defoliation  of  Catalpa  trees  in  large 
numbers  throughout  Indiana  and  the  Catalpa  Blight  has  killed 
many  fine  shade  trees. 

There  are  three  species  of  Catalpa  offered  ordinarily  by  nurs- 
erymen. Namely,  the  Catalpa  Speciosa,  Catalpa  Bignonioides  and 
Catalpa  Kempferri.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  first  two  species  named  until  after  the  trees  come  to 
considerable  size.  Consequently,  it  is  not  advisable  to  trust  the 
opinion  of  the  nurseryman  regarding  the  kind  of  tree  which  he 
has  to  offer.  I  have  bought  Catalpa  trees  from  presumably  reliable 
nurserymen  with  the  assurance  that  they  were  absolutely  pure 
Catalpa  Speciosa  and  I  have  developed  from  these  young  trees 
not  only  Catalpa  Bignonioides  but  in  some  cases  Catalpa  Kemp- 
ferri as  well.  The  Kempferri  is  a  Japanese  species  and  in  some 
respects  seems  to  be  more  hardy  than  the  native  varieties.  It  is 
to  be  distinguished  by  the  fact  that  the  leaves  are  somewhat 
sharply  lobed  and  the  seed  pods  are  exceedingly  small  in  dia- 
meter and  are  borne  in  large  clusters. 

Where  the  owner  is  prepared  to  spray  the  trees  and  give 
them  the  best  of  care,  the  Catalpa  can  be  planted  with  assurance 
of  success.  It  is  almost  certain,  however,  to  require  this  atten- 
tion sooner  or  later  in  its  life.  Personally,  I  prefer  the  Catalpa 
Bignonioides  for  street  planting,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  trees 
are  not  as  symmetrical  and  uniform  as  are  the  trees  of  the  Catalpa 
Speciosa.  The  majority  of  all  trees  offered  by  nurserymen  are 
of  this  species  so  that  the  planter  is  reasonably  sure  of  securing 
the  Catalpa  Bignonioides  whether  he  really  wants  it  or  not. 

Chestnut. 

"While  the  Chestnut  is  exceedingly  resistant  to  insect  injuries, 
it  is  not  a  desirable  tree  to  plant  along  crowded  city  streets.  On 
the  streets  in  the  outer  districts  where  there  is  more  room  and 
better  air,  the  chestnut  will  make  a  desirable  tree.  Like  the  Oak 
it  must  have  plenty  of  root  room  and  a  good  atmosphere  in  which 
to  develop  its  greatest  possibilities. 

In  some  sections  of  the  east,  chestnut  bark  disease  has  destroyed 
thousands  of  trees;  in  fact  in  some  States,  this  disease  threatens 
to  exterminate  this  tree.  The  Government  is  now  at  work  in  an 
effort  to  destroy  all  trees  infested  with  the  chestnut  bark  disease 
and  it  may  be  that  the  trouble  will  be  stamped  out  before  it 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


87 


reaches  our  western  districts.  There  are  one  or  two  other  dis- 
eases of  the  chestnut  which  sometimes  destroy  the  tree.  For  this 
reason,  its  resistance  to  fungous  injury  has  been  placed  somewhat 
lower  than  it  would  ordinarily  be,  although  in  some  districts  the 
tree  is  perfectly  hardy  and  the  diseases  mentioned  do  not  occur. 


COFFEE  tree. 
A  good  tree  for  open  planting. 


88  FouETH  Annual  Report 

Kentucky  Coffee  Tree. 

The  Coffee  tree  is  exceedingly  resistant  to  insect  injuries.  I 
know  of  very  few  insects  which  do  any  damage  to  the  tree  and  of 
none  that  does  any  important  damage.  It  is  also  exceedingly  re- 
sistant to  fungous  injury.  I  have  never  seen  the  tree  tried  in  the 
crowded  districts  of  a  city,  but  from  the  fact  that  it  is  one  of  our 
native  forest  trees  I  am  afraid  that  we  can  not  expect  much  from 
it  under  the  adverse  conditions  of  city  life.  For  the  outer  dis- 
tricts where  the  soil  condition  and  atmosphere  are  better,  it  is 
an  excellent  tree  to  plant. 

The  Elm. 

Of  all  of  the  trees  that  are  planted  for  shade  in  the  cities,  the 
elms  are  most  liable  to  be  injured  by  insects.  Both  European  and 
American  elms  have  a  host  of  enemies,  many  of  which  are  diffi- 
cult to  control  and  some  of  which  prefer  the  elm  to  any  other 
food  plant.  The  Elm  Tree  Borer,  the  Scurfy  Scale  of  the  elm, 
the  Spiny  Elm  Caterpillar  and  the  Elm  Leaf  Beetle  are  insects 
which  prey  on  this  tree,  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  any  other.  In 
addition,  the  tree  is  often  injured  by  the  Woolly  Louse  of  the 
elm,  by  another  Spiny  Caterpillar,  by  the  Tussock  Moth,  Bag 
Worm  ]\Ioth  and  frequently  by  the  Cottony  Maple  Scale.  There 
are  many  other  trees  that  are,  to  my  mind,  the  equal  of  the  elm 
in  beauty  that  could  very  easily  be  planted  in  preference  to  the 
elm  in  our  parks  and  cities. 

Any  one  who  plants  the  elm  trees  must  be  prepared  to  spend 
large  sums  of  money  in  protecting  these  trees  later  on  in  their 
growth.  I  understand  that  on-e  of  the  large  colleges  of  the  east 
spent  an  average  of  $18  per  year  per  tree  to  protect  the  elm  trees 
which  stand  on  the  college  grounds.  These,  of  course,  are  large 
trees,  but  it  will  give  some  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  insect  injury 
and  the  cost  of  its  prevention.  The  elm  is  somewhat  resistant  to 
fungous  injury  and  maintains  itself  in  cities  fairly  well.  The 
only  drawback  to  it  is  the  extreme  liability  to  insect  injury.  This 
injury  is  so  great  that  it  will  not  pay  the  cautious  planter  to  at- 
tempt to  grow  elm  trees  in  our  present  day  condition. 

The  European  elm  is  an  introduced  form  which  lacks  much  of 
the  beauty  of  the  American  elm  and  is  somewhat  more  subject  to 
insect  injuries  than  the  native  form. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  89 


The  Ginko. 


This  Asiatic  deciduous  Conifer  has  shown  itself  to  be  one  of 
the  best  trees  that  we  can  plant  along  our  city  streets.  The  trees 
are  quite  symmetrical  and  like  most  of  the  other  Conifers  grow 
tall  and  more  or  less  cone  shaped.  The  fact  that  the  leaves  are 
shed  in  the  fall  of  the  year  eliminates  this  tree  from  the  objec- 
tions urged  against  the  native  evergreen  Conifers  in  that  the 
leaves  escape  the  injury  of  the  extreme  smoke  of  the  winter.  The 
tree  is  of  a  fairly  rapid  growth  but  presents  a  somewhat  straggly 
appearance  until  it  is  several  years  old.  Even  at  its  best,  the 
Ginko  would  probably  be  considered  more  of  an  oddity  than  a 
tree  of  beauty,  for  it  lacks  much  of  the  grace  of  our  native  trees. 
It  is  hardy,  resistant  to  both  insect  and  fungous  injuries  and  with- 
stands our  cit}^  conditions.  I  should  recommend  the  tree  for 
rather  general  planting  in  our  large  towns. 

Horse-Chestnut. 

While  the  Horse-Chestnut  is  a  rapidly  growing  and  rather  beau- 
tiful tree,  it  is  quite  subject  to  insect  injuries  and  is  frequently 
injured  by  the  attacks  of  various  fungi.  It  does  not  stand  the 
dry  soil  conditions  of  our  cities  as  some  trees  do  and  is  recom- 
mended only  for  planting  in  the  wider  streets  in  the  outer  dis- 
tricts of  the  town. 

The  tree  is  especially  subject  to  the  attacks  of  the  Tussock 
Moth,  which  frequently  result  in  the  complete  defoliation  of  the 
tree.  The  Putnam  Scale  is  another  pest  which  is  sometimes  de- 
structive to  this  tree  and  on  a  few  occasions  the  common  lace  bugs 
have  done  considerable  damage. 

It  is  another  one  of  our  shade  trees  which  is  frequently  badly 
injured  by  the  attack  of  the  red  spider.  This  pest  usually  occurs 
in  injurious  numbers  only  in  dry  seasons,  when  its  injury  can 
be  prevented  by  a  liberal  use  of  water,  not  only  around  the  tree 
but  on  the  leaves  and  branches  as  well. 

Hickory. 

Wliile  the  various  hickories  are  desirable  for  planting  in  parks 
and  along  streets  where  they  will  have  plenty  of  room,  they  are 
not  well  adapted  to  city  conditions.  Where  they  are  grown  it  is 
well  to  plant  the  nut  where  the  trees  are  to  remain,  as  the  young 
trees  do  not  stand  transplanting  well. 


90  Fourth  Annual  Report  ,  ' 

Hackberry. 

The  Hackberry  is  one  of  the  trees  that  has  given  very  excel- 
lent results  on  some  of  the  crowded  city  streets.  It  is  quite  re- 
sistant to  various  insect  injuries  and  is  not  often  attacked  by  any 
fungous  disease  of  any  importance. 

Several  years  ago,  the  Hackberry  trees  in  the  Indianapolis 
parks  were  attacked  by  an  epidemic  of  a  certain  bracket  fungus. 
Specimens  of  this  fungus  were  sent  to  Wabash  College  and  to 
Cornell,  but  no  positive  identification  of  the  species  was  made  at 
either  place.  This  fungus  attacks  the  tree  on  the  trunk  usually 
about  two  or  three  feet  from  the  ground  and  appears  to  destroy 
the  tissues  above  and  below  the  point  of  attack.  The  large  brack- 
ets appeared  in  early  summer  and  remained  on  the  tree  indefinite- 
ly. An  examination  made  last  summer  showed  that  the  dry 
weather  of  this  season  had  prevented  the  development  of  the  fun- 
gus to  any  serious  extent.  No  brackets  were  found  to  be  present 
on  the  trees  that  had  been  badly  infested.  On  some  trees  the  work 
of  the  fungus  would  be  very  easily  observed  by  the  successive 
layers  of  dead  bark  extending  out  from  a  common  point  of  in- 
fection. The  condition  is  well  illustrated  in  the  accompanying 
photograph. 

In  case  this  disease  should  attack  the  tree,  the  proper  method 
to  employ  would  be  to  cut  out  all  of  the  diseased  tissue  and  paint 
the  cleaned  wound  with  a  solution  of  corrosive  sublimate  in 
strength  about  1  to  1,000.  Wlien  this  solution  is  dry  the  wound 
can  then  be  painted  over  with  pine  tar  and  if  the  cavity  is  deep 
enough  it  can  be  filled  with  cement.  As  a  rule,  however,  the  in- 
juiy  of  this  fungus  is  superficial  and  there  will  be  nothing  left 
to  fill  with  cement. 

The  hackberry  is  quite  resistant  to  the  moisture  and  atmos- 
pheric conditions  of  the  city,  although  in  dry  seasons  the  tree  is 
sometimes  defoliated  by  the  red  spider.  It  is  probable  that  this 
pest  is  worse  on  the  hackberry  than  on  any  other  tree.  As  I  have 
observed  the  work  of  this  mite  only  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis, 
I  hesitate  to  condemn  the  hackberry  for  city  planting  on  that  ac- 
count. Consequently,  in  the  table  of  Comparative  Immunity  I 
have  rated  the  hackberry  somewhat  above  other  trees  in  resistance 
to  insect  attacks. 

Linden. 

I  wish  that  the  Linden  tree  did  not  have  so  many  insect 
enemies,  for  I  would  certainly  like  to  be  able  to  recommend  it  for 
planting  along  our  city  streets     The  tree  is  not  only  beautiful, 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  91 

hardy  and  of  rapid  growth,  but  it  is  one  of  the  few  trees  which 
yield  a  large  quantity  of  nectar  for  the  honey  bees  to  use  for  the 
manufacture  of  honey. 

It  is  subject  to  so  many  insect  pests,  however,  that  I  doubt 
whether  it  would  be  wise  to  recommend  it  for  planting  under  the 
adverse  conditions  of  our  city  streets.  The  Tussock  Moth  and 
Bag  Worm  Moth  annually  defoliate  many  trees  of  this  species 
in  our  large  cities  and  so  stunt  their  growth  that  they  never  make 
a  perfect  specimen,  as  they  otherwise  would.  In  addition  to  these 
two  leaf-eaters,  San  Jose  Scale,  Cottony  Maple  Scale,  the  English 
Walnut  Scale  and  the  Putnam  Scale  are  all  commonly  found  on 
this  species  of  tree. 

Occasionally,  the  trees  are  defoliated  by  the  attack  of  a  leaf 
spot  fungus.  When  the  Linden  can  be  grown  in  the  open  country, 
where  it  will  have  plenty  of  soil  moisture  and  clear  atmosphere 
in  which  to  grow,  it  is  an  admirable  tree  to  plant.  I  would  recom- 
mend it  for  many  situations,  but  not  for  city  streets. 

Black  Locust. 

Tlie  Black  Locust  is  one  of  the  trees  not  native  to  this  section. 
l)at  which  came  here  with  the  earliest  settlers.  We  find  many  old 
Black  Locust  trees  growing  around  the  homesteads  which  were 
established  by  the  early  pioneers,  and  as  a  rule  around  the  home- 
steads which  were  established  by  those  pioneers  who  came  to  this 
country  from  western  Pennsylvania,  where  the  Black  Locust  is  a 
native.  This  tree  has  also  entered  Indiana  by  way  of  the  Ohio 
River,  the  seeds  having  been  brought  down  by  the  floods  in  that 
stream. 

The  tree  has  one  serious  insect  pest  which  is  so  universally 
distributed  and  so  severe  in  its  injury  that  it  makes  the  tree 
undesirable  for  planting  purposes. 

Honey  Locust. 

This  graceful,  hardy  tree  should  be  more  widely  planted  not 
only  in  our  city  streets  but  throughout  the  country  as  well.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  native  trees  that  we  have  and  is  quite 
resistant  to  both  insect  and  fungous  enemies  and  further  with- 
stands the  adverse  conditions  of  our  city  streets  exceedingly  well. 

In  dry  seasons,  the  Honey  Locust  is  sometimes  injured  by  the 
attacks  of  the  red  spider,  although  this  injury  is  seldom  sufficient 
to  cause  any  damage  to  the  tree.    The  fact  that  the  tree  is  covered 


92  Fourth  Annual  Report 

with  formidable  thorns  makes  it  an  exceedingly  desirable  nesting 
place  for  birds.  In  its  branches  they  are  fully  protected  from  the 
predatory  house  eat. 

Maples, 
norway  maple. 

Of  all  of  our  maples,  it  is  probable  that  the  Norway  is  the 
best  adapted  for  planting  along  the  city  streets.  It  is  quite  resist- 
ant to  insect  injuries  and  is  seldom,  if  ever,  attacked  by  any 
fungous  disease.  It  also  seems  to  be  able  to  withstand  the  dry 
soil  conditions  of  the  city,  although  within  recent  years  the  Norway 
lias  shown  some  injury  of  this  sort  in  Indianapolis.  In  such  cases 
the  leaves  wilt  in  midsummer  and  frequently  will  fall  to  the 
ground  in  large  numbers. 

My  chief  objection  to  the  Norway  ]\Iaple  is  the  fact  it  is  not 
a  native  tree  and  I  do  not  like  its  habit  of  growth.  When  you 
have  seen  one  Norway  Maple  you  have  seen  all  of  them.  They 
are  absolutely  uniform  in  their  development  and  have  but  one  re- 
deeming feature  in  their  appearance.  This  is  during  the  time 
when  they  are  in  blossom.  A  row  of  Norway  ]\Iaples  in  full  bloom 
is  certainly  a  gorgeous  sight,  for  the  clear  light  yellow  of  the 
blossoms  makes  each  tree  a  perfect  mound  of  color. 

SUGAR    MAPLE. 

The  Sugar  IMaple  is  quite  resistant  to  fungous  and  insect 
enemies,  but  it  is  not  adapted  for  planting  along  our  city  streets. 
The  trees  must  have  an  abundant  supply  of  moisture  if  they  are 
to  succeed.  Several  years  ago,  the  federal  authorities  planted 
Norway  Maple  trees  around  the  post-office  building  at  Indian- 
apolis. They  were  planted  in  a  narrow  strip  of  soil  lying  between 
the  curb  and  the  sidewalk.  This,  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
grass  plot  in  front  of  the  building  was  the  only  exposed  soil  for 
several  hundred  yards  in  any  direction  from  the  trees.  Had  any 
intelligent  landscape  architect  been  consulted,  he  could  have  told 
the  authorities  at  once  that  the  trees  could  not  possibly  grow  in 
that  situation.  The  trees  were,  apparently,  planted  blindly,  and  as 
a  result  they  all  died  the  first  season. 

This  planting  was  followed  with  another  planting  of  Sugar 
Maples  which  are  even  harder  to  grow  than  are  the  Norways. 
The  hard  maples  died  even  in  shorter  time  than  did  the  Norways, 
as  could  have  been  predicted  by  any  one  familiar  with  the  tree. 
These  trees  have  been  replaced  from  time  to  time  until  today  there 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  93 

is  a  straggling  row  of  half  dead  trees  extending  around  the  fed- 
eral building.  None  of  them  are  any  larger  than  they  were  the 
day  that  they  were  planted  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  none  of  them 
ever  will  be  any  larger. 

There  are  two  criticisms  to  be  made  on  a  planting  of  this  sort. 
In  the  first  place,  the  trees  that  were  selected  were  not  adapted  to 
the  soil  conditions  that  they  had  to  endure.  In  the  second  place, 
the  location  selected  for  the  trees  is  not  one  in  which  trees  should 
be  planted  at  all.  The  federal  building  is  a  magnificent  piece  of 
architecture  and  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  plant  a  row  of  large 
trees  around  such  a  building.  Good  taste  and  a  general  sense  of 
the  fitness  of  things  should  suggest  that  a  building  of  this  sort 
would  look  better  if  it  is  allowed  to  occupy  a  large  space  without 
the  detracting  influence  of  trees  around  it.  The  place  where  the 
trees  were  planted  could  very  well  have  been  used  to  plant  small 
growing  shrubs  or  it  would  have  been  fully  as  effective  to  keep 
the  narrow  plat  between  the  sidewalk  and  the  curb  in  fresh  green 
sod. 

SOFT    MAPLE. 

The  Soft  IMaple  is  an  exceedingly  rapid  growing  tree  and  one 
that  has  been  extensively  planted  along  the  city  streets  in  the 
past.  So  extensively  in  fact,  that  we  have  abundant  data  on 
which  to  condemn  it  as  a  city  tree.  Few  trees  have  more  insect 
enemies  and  they  are  frequently  attacked  by  fungous  diseases  of 
considerable  importance.  The  tree  is  more  resistant  to  the  soil 
conditions  of  the  city  than  is  the  native  hard  maple,  although  not 
quite  so  resistant  as  the  Norway.  Its  susceptibility  to  insect  at- 
tacks, its  danger  from  fungous  diseases  and  the  fact  that  it  is 
short  lived  makes  it  an  undesirable  tree  for  city  planting. 

RED    MAPLE. 

It  is  a  surprising  fact  that  the  Red  Maple  which  in  a  state 
of  nature  prefers  to  stand  with  its  feet  in  water  makes  a  quite 
successful  tree  for  city  planting.  It  is  resistant  to  insect  and 
fungous  enemies  and  is  far  preferable  for  street  planting  than  the 
native  soft  maple.  It  is  almost  as  rapid  growing  a  tree  as  the  soft 
maple. 

Pin  Oak — Red  Oak. 

These  two  oaks  are  well  adapted  for  planting  along  the  streets 
where  they  will  not  be  too  crowded  and  where  the  atmosphere  of 
the  city  is  not  too  dense.  They  are  both  quite  resistant  to  insect 
enemies  and  have  very  few  fungous  diseases.     Last  summer  we 


94  Fourth  Annual  Report 

found  a  fungous  disease  attacking  the  Pin  Oaks  in  the  city  nurs- 
eries at  Riverside  Park,  but  so  far  the  study  of  the  disease  has  not 
progressed  far  enough  to  make  a  definite  statement  regarding  it  at 
this  time. 

Contrary  to  general  supposition,  these  two  oaks  are  not  of  slow 
growth,  the  Pin  Oak  being  quite  a  rapid  grower  and  the  Red  Oak 
being  almost  as  fast. 

Pine. 

white^  scotch  and  austrian. 

These  are  the  three  principal  species  of  pine  planted  for  shade 
and  ornamental  purposes,  in  our  cities.  Like  all  other  evergreens 
they  are  unsuited  to  city  conditions  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
leaves  remain  on  the  tree  throughout  the  winter  and  become  so 
clogged  with  smoke  and  soot  in  the  winter  time  that  the  tree 
suffers  materially.  Where  the  trees  can  have  plenty  of  room  and 
good  atmospheric  conditions  of  the  country,  the  white  pine  will 
probably  make  the  most  successful  tree,  although  the  Scotch  and 
Austrian  pines  are  both  excellent.  Personally,  I  prefer  the  white 
pine  because  it  is  a  more  rapid  grower  and  because  it  is  a  native 
American  tree. 

These  trees  have  but  one  important  insect  pest  in  our  locality 
and  this  is  the  pine  scale,  which  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this 
report. 

Spruce. 

norv^ay  spruce. 

Were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  the  Norway  Spruce  is  an  ever- 
green and  subject  to  the  general  objection  against  evergreens,  this 
would  make  an  admirable  tree  for  planting  on  our  city  streets. 
It  is  an  excellent  tree  for  small  towns  or  for  the  country,  where 
it  can  have  a  reasonably  clean  atmosphere  in  which  to  develop. 
It  is  sometimes  attacked  by  the  pine  scale,  but  this  is  of  rare  oc- 
currence, the  Norway  Spruce  being  one  of  the  least  injured  of  all 
our  Conifers. 

The  Colorado  Blue  Spruce  is  a  different  species,  a  native  of 
Colorado  and  possessed  of  more  or  less  bluish  tint. 

Koster's  Blue  Spruce  is  a  horticultural  variety  of  the  Colorado 
Blue  and  is  of  a  more  pronounced  blue  color  than  is  the  Colorado 
form.  Neither  of  them  seems  to  thrive  quite  as  well  as  the  Nor- 
way Spruce,  although  occasionally  we  see  fine  specimens. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 
Sycamore. 


95 


The  native  Sycamore  is  ordinarily  a  tree  of  the  water  courses 
and  yet  we  find  that  it  is  able  to  resist  the  dry  soil  conditions  of 
our  city  streets  almost  as  well  as  any  tree  that  we  have.     Syca- 


SYCAMORE  THRIVES  EVEN  IN  THE'DRY  SOIL  OF  CITIES. 


96 


FouKTH  Annual  Report 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


97 


mores  are  also  comparatively  free  from  insect  injury  and  it  is 
seldom  that  we  find  any  serious  insect  depredations  present  on  the 
leaves  or  trunk. 


.1^'L*^'  ?. 


SVCA.MoKK  THi:i:s  KIIJ.KI)   BY   ITXGOrS  DISEASE 


In  recent  years  an  important  fungous  disease  has  made  its 
appearance  and  thousands  of  sycamores  have  been  destroyed  by  it. 
For  this  reason  the  rating  of  the  sycamore  in  regard  to  its  sus- 
ceptibility to  fungous  disease  is  necessarily  low.  I  still  regard  it 
as  a  desirable  tree  to  plant  along  the  city  streets. 


[7—28403] 


9S 


FouKTH  Annual  Report 


\  CAMoUi;  IX  A  CITY  I'Ai;: 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


99 


leaves  of  tulip  tree  showing  normal  condition  ANij  effects. 

OF  leaf  spot. 


100  FouETH  Annual  Report 

Tulip  Tree. 

With  very  few  exceptions  the  Tulip  tree,  or  Yellow  Poplar  of 
cominerce,  is  one  of  the  very  best  to  plant  along  our  city  streets. 
It  is  not  to  be  confused  with  our  Carolina  Poplar  for,  in  fact, 
the  tree  is  not  a  poplar  at  all  but  is  a  member  of  the  Magnolia 
family.  It  is  rapid  growing  and  makes  a  beautiful  tree  that  is 
strong  and  long  lived;  exceedingly  free  from  insect  injuries  and 
nearly  as  free  from  the  possibility  of  fungous  injury. 

Great  care  must  be  used  in  planting  the  tree,  as  they  do  not 
stand  transplanting  well.  The  chief  mistake  that  is  made  in  this 
particular  is  in  attempting  to  plant  too  large  a  tree.  A  small 
tree,  two  or  three  feet  high,  will  become  established  quickly  and 
in  the  course  of  ten  years  will  have  a  great  advantage  over  a  tree 
eight  or  ten  feet  high  and  several  inches  in  diameter  which  was 
planted  at  the  same  time. 

Two  of  the  handsomest  Tulip  trees  that  I  have  ever  seen  for 
their  age  were  growing  in  the  yard  of  ]\Ir.  C.  J.  Pickering  of 
MiddletoAvn.  At  the  time  I  saw  the  trees  that  were  thirty  feet 
in  height.  ]\Ir.  Pickering  told  me  that  when  he  planted  the  trees 
eleven  years  ago  they  consisted  of  two  leaves  each,  being  simply 
tiny  seedlings  that  he  had  brought  in  from  the  woods. 

Black  Walnut. 

The  Black  Walnut  is  not  adapted  to  our  city  street  conditions, 
but  makes  an  excellent  shade  tree  on  large  lawns  where  the  soil 
conditions  are  more  nearly  normal,  or  perhaps  it  would  do  well 
on  the  streets  of  small  towns.  The  tree  is  very  rapid  in  its 
growth  and  lives  to  a  great  age.  It  does  not  stand  transplanting 
well  and,  like  the  hickories,  the  nuts  should  be  planted  where  the 
trees  are  to  remain. 

Frequently  the  Walnut  is  defoliated  by  the  Walnut  Worm, 
but,  as  a  rule,  this  defoliation  comes  late  in  the  season  and  but 
little  injury  results  to  the  tree.  If  the  trees  are  carefully  watched, 
the  injury  can  be  prevented  almost  entirely. 

Weeping  Willow. 

This  is  another  tree  of  our  water  courses  that  has  shown  itself 
to  be  well  adapted  to  planting  along  the  city  streets.     Some  of 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


101 


the  best  trees  in  the  down-town  sections  of  Indianapolis  are  of 
this  species.  This  tree  is  exceedingly  resistant  to  fungous  dis- 
eases l>ut  is  somewhat  subject  to  the  attacks  of  leaf-eaters  such  as 


THE  WEEPING  WILLOW  IS  A  GOOD  TREE  FOR  CITY  CONDITIONS. 


the  Bag  Worm  ]\Ioth  and  the  Tussock  Moth.  With  these  excep- 
tions, the  Weeping  Willow  can  be  recommended  for  planting  in 
the  crowded  parts  of  our  larger  cities. 


102 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


WILD  CHEUK>  . 
A  native  tree  that  is  not  recommended  for  shade  tree  planting. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


103 


TABLE  INDICATING  RELATIVE  IMMUNITY  FROM  INSECT  INJURY, 

FUNGOUS  INJURY  AND  GENERAL  RESISTANCE 

TO  CITY  CONDITIONS. 


Species. 


Insect 

Fungus 

City 

Injury. 

Injury. 

Conditions. 

10 

10 

10 

9.5 

9.5 

8.5 

6 

6 

4 

6 

5 

7 

9 

5-10 

4 

9.5 

8 

4 

3 

8 

7 

2.5 

8 

7 

10 

10 

9 

7 

9 

6 

6 

9 

4 

6 

6 

5 

5 

8 

4 

4 

8 

5 

7 

9 

7 

7-9.5 

10 

7 

7 

10 

3 

4 

6 

6 

8 

8 

7 

8 

10 

f) 

8 

10 

6 

8 

10 

2 

8 

10 

2 

9.5 

10 

2 

9.5 

4 

8 

10 

9 

8 

5-8 

9 

3 

6 

10 

9 

Ailanthus 

Ash,  White 

Buckeye 

Catalpa 

Chestnut 

Coffee  tree 

Elm 

Elm,  European . . 

Ginko 

Hackberry 

Hickory 

Horse  Chestnut. 

Linden 

Locust,  black. . . , 
Locust,  honey.  .  . 
Maple,  Norway. 
Maple,  Sugar. . .  . 

Maple,  Soft 

Maple,  Red 

Oak,  Pin 

Oak,  Red 

Fine,  white 

Pine,  Scotch 

Spruce,  Norway. 

Sycamore 

Tulip  Tree 

Walnut,  Black... 
Willow,  Weeping 


INJURIOUS  INSECTS. 


A  list  of  the  more  common  insects  injuring  shade  trees  in  In- 
diana including  a  few  forms  that  are  either  present  or  are  liable 
to  be  present  in  the  next  few  years. 

Boring  Insects. 

Pigeon  Tremex  (Tremex  Columba).  This  common  borer  be- 
longs to  the  hymenoptera  and  is  one  of  the  few  members  of  this 
order  which  is  injurious  to  our  shade  trees.  The  borers  prefer 
to  work  in  the  maples,  especially  the  native  hard  maple  and,  in 
some  sections  of  the  State,  they  have  done  a  great  deal  of  injury 
to  the  shade  trees.  This  is  notably  true  of  some  of  the  smaller 
towns  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  The  eggs  are  laid  in 
cracks  in  the  bark,  preferably  in  trees  that  have  been  weakened 
by  some  other  agency.  This  fact  holds  true  in  regard  to  a  great 
many  of  the  boring  insects;  that  is,  they  are  more  liable  to  at- 
tack trees  that  have  been  injured  by  some  prior  cause. 

The  young  borers  work  in  the  body  of  the  tree,  and,  fre- 
quently, may  be  present  in  the  tree  for  a  number  of  years  before 
causing  its  death;  differing  from  some  of  the  other  borers,  in  this 
respect,  that  do  their  work  for  the  most  part  between  the  bark 
and  the  wood,  thus  girdling  the  tree. 

The  life  cycle  of  the  Pigeon  Tremex  is  approximately  twelve 
months.  The  adult  female  sometimes  becomes  fastened  to  the 
tree  in  the  act  of  laying  the  eggs  in  the  cracks  of  the  bark,  as  the 
ovipositer  becomes  wedged  in  the  bark  tissues  and  holds  the  insect 
captive.  One  of  the  interesting  things  about  this  insect  is  the 
fact  that  it  has  a  characteristic  parasite  in  the  Thalessa  lunator. 
This  parasitic  insect  is  well  illustrated  in  the  accompanying  photo- 
graph and  no  description  is  necessary. 

One  of  the  interesting  points  regarding  this  boring  insect  and 
its  parasite  is  the  fact  that  the  parasites  are  much  more  often 
found  than  are  the  borers  themselves.  We  frequently  have  people 
sending  in  specimens  of  the  parasite  and  almost  invariably  they 
claim  that  the  insect  was  caught  in  the  act  of  boring  holes  in 
their  maple  trees.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  long  ovipositer  of  the 
Thalessa  Fly  is  used  to  reach  to  the  interior  of  the  boring  of  the 


106 


FouETH  Annual  REroRT 


THALESSA   FLY. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


107 


pigeon  tremex  and  to  lay  the  eggs  in  that  position.  Probably  a 
good  many  Thalessa  flies  are  destroyed  by  people  who  are  ig- 
norant of  their  value.  It  is  probable  that  this  one  parasite  does 
more  than  anything  else  to  keep  down  the  numbers  of  the  Pigeon 
Trcmcx  and  for  this  reason  it  is  not  a  widespread  pest  in  this 


A  TREE  THAT  IS  BEING  KILLED  BY  THE  ELM  BORER. 


Wherever  the  insects  are  found  to  be  injurious  the  borings 
should  be  carefully  cut  out  with  a  sharp  chisel  and  wherever  the 
insects  are  found  to  be  present  they  should  be  destroyed.  It  may 
he  of  value  to  inject  a  small  quantity  of  carbon  bisulphide  into 
the  borings  of  this  pest  and  plug  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel  with 
putty  or  some  similar  substance.  Where  this  work  is  carefully 
done  and  persisted  in,  the  borers  can  be  exterminated  after  one 
season's  effort. 

This  method  of  treating  borers  is  not  practical  except  for  those 


108  Fourth  Annual  Report 

forms  which  work  in  the  central  part  of  the  tree.  Borers  which 
work  between  the  wood  and  the  bark  are  more  difficult  to  reach, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  their  channels  are  very  frequently  plugged 
with  sawdust,  and  are  often  so  long  and  tortuous  that  the  carbon 
bisulphide  does  not  seem  to  be  effective. 

Elm  Borer  (Saperda  Tridentata).  This  exceedingly  injurious 
beetle  affects  all  of  our  native  elm  trees  to  a  greater  or  less  ex- 
tent.    As  a  rule,  the  beetles  prefer  to  attack  trees  that  have  been 


ELM  BORERS 

weakened  through  some  other  cause  and  for  this  reason,  we  find 
that  they  are  far  more  common  in  cities  and  towns  than  they  are 
in  the  open  country,  although  occasionally  we  find  that  the  elm 
trees  in  the  native  woods  are  seriously  injured. 

The  adult  is  a  beetle  about  one-half  inch  long.  The  antennae 
is  longer  than  the  body.  The  body  is  marked  with  red.  The  larvae 
are  characteristic  flat-headed  borers,  that  is,  the  head  end  of  the 
grub  is  flattened,  and  not  only  the  head  but  the  segments  imme- 
diately behind  the  head  are  flattened,  giving  the  insect  the  charac- 
teristic hammer  shape.  The  adult  beetles  appear  in  early  sum- 
mer and  the  eggs  are  laid  from  June  till  sometime  in  August. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  109 

The  length  of  the  life  cycle  is  not  known,  because  the  life 
history  of  this  form  has  never  been  completely  worked  out.  The 
larva  of  various  sizes  can  be  found  in  the  trees  at  the  same  time, 
so  that  it  appears  that  the  life  cycle  is  probably  more  than  one 
year. 

Several  years  ago  the  insect  became  unusually  bad  in  the  city 
of  Vincennes,  and  in  the  course  of  three  or  four  years  it  destroyed 


ELM  BORERS. 

practically  every  elm  tree  in  the  town.  The  insect  is  now  at  work 
in  the  northern  part  of  Indianapolis  and  the  adjacent  country  and 
it  is  probable  that  a  large  number  of  the  elms  in  the  city  of  In- 
dianapolis will  be  destroyed  within  the  next  few  years. 

There  is  practically  no  remedy  for  the  elm  borers  except  to 
cut  and  burn  all  infested  trees  and  in  this  way  prevent  the  spread 
of  the  insects  to  other  healthy  trees.  This  remedy  was  suggested 
a  number  of  years  ago  in  the  city  of  Vincennes,  but  it  was  not 


110 


FouETH  Anistual  Repoet 


WORK  OF  I','  il:r.l;s  IX  FI,M 


Indiana  State  Entontoi ouist.  Ill 

followed  out  as  it  should  have  been.  Consequently,  the  borers  took 
tree  after  tree  until,  today,  there  is  practically  not  an  elm  left  in 
the  town. 

Common  Flat-Headed  Borer  ( Chrysobothris  femorata).  The 
larva  of  this  beetle  is  slender  with  a  very  much  enlarged  flat  head, 
resembling  in  this  respect  the  larvae  of  the  elm  borer.  The  adult 
is  about  one-half  inch  long,  gray  in  color  and  the  antennae  are 
not  as  long  as  the  body.  The  eggs  are  laid  the  last  of  May  in 
crevices  in  the  bark  and  the  burrows  that  are  made  between  the 
bark  and  the  wood  are  flattened  in  cross  section  and  are  not  cyl- 
indric  as  in  the  case  of  the  Long  Horned  Borers.  This  beetle  at- 
tacks many  kinds  of  shade  trees  and,  also,  is  sometimes  found 
working  on  fruit  trees.  What  has  been  said  about  the  preceding 
forms  applies  to  this  insect  as  well.  Like  the  other  borers  it  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  control,  and  the  best  that  can  be  done  is 
to  keep  the  trees  in  strong,  healthy,  vigorous  condition,  so  that 
they  will  be  in  a  condition  to  resist  the  attacks  of  the  borer  at  tlie 
start.  When  they  first  attack  a  tree  the  borers  are  rather  diffi- 
cult to  detect,  and  usually  their  presence  is  not  discovered  until 
considerable  damage  has  been  done.  Where  by  any  chance  they 
can  be  discovered  before  any  serious  injury  has  taken  place,  they 
can  be  cut  out  and  destroyed.  There  is  practically  nothing  else 
that  can  be  done  to  remedy  their  injury. 

The  Locust  Borer  (Cyllene  robiniae).  This  handsome  beetle 
is  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length,  black  in  color  and 
marked  with  brilliant  yellow.  The  adults  emerge  in  the  fall  of 
the  year,  and  lay  their  eggs  on  the  bark  of  the  Black  Locust,  con- 
fining their  depredations  almost  exclusively  to  this  tree.  Wlieu 
the  young  larvae  hatch,  they  immediately  bore  into  the  tree  and 
work  throughout  the  woody  tissues.  This  borer  is  especially  de- 
structive to  the  young  locust  trees  the  first  few  years  after  they 
are  planted.  It  has  caused  a  great  deal  of  injury  to  the  plant- 
ings of  black  locust  which  have  been  made  in  various  parts  of 
the  State  by  farmers  who  were  attempting  to  grow  their  own 
fence  posts.  I  know  of  many  plantations  of  black  locust  that  have 
been  completely  ruined  by  the  work  of  this  beetle.  In  fact,  the 
injury  is  so  serious  and  so  certain  that  I  do  not  recommend  the 
planting  of  black  locust  save  in  a  very  few  restricted  areas  where 
the  insect  does  not  appear  to  do  any  considerable  damage.  Over 
a  large  portion  of  the  State  the  damage  from  the  locust  borer  is 
almost  as  certain  as  death  and  taxes. 

Many  years  ago  the  black  locust  was  planted  by  some  of  the 
early  settlers,  especially  the  ones  that  came  from  western  Penn- 


112 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


sylvania,  as  a  shade  tree  around  some  of  the  old  homesteads. 
These  old  trees  are  being  cut  down  in  a  great  many  instances,  and 
it  is  very  interesting  to  note  that  the  locust  borer  was  present  at  an 
exceedingly  early  date.  Many  of  the  old  black  locust  trees  that 
are  two  feet  or  more  in  diameter,  at  the  present  time,  show  that 
they  were  badly  injured  by  the  locust  borers  when  they  were  a 
few  inches  in  diameter.  Evidently,  the  black  locust  is  able  to  over- 
come the  work  of  this  beetle  to  a  certain  extent.  If  a  tree  can  sur- 
vive the  first  attack  without  dying  to  the  ground  or  being  blown 


DEAD  BRANCHES  IN  THE  TOPS  OF  MAPLES  USUALLY  MEAN  THAT  A  BORER 
IS  AT  WORK. 


over  by  the  wind,  it  is  entirely  possible  that  it  may  live  to  an  old 
age.  In  selecting  trees  for  forest  planting,  however,  w^e  must  not 
base  our  conclusions  on  the  few  old  veterans  that  have  survived 
the  attacks  of  the  locust  borers  in  the  early  days,  for  we  do  not 
know  anything  of  the  vast  numbers  of  locust  trees  which  must 
have  succumbed  to  the  attack  of  this  beetle  early  in  their  life 
history. 

Hickory  Borer  (Cyllene  pictus).  This  beetle  is  almost  identi- 
cal with  the  locust  borer  except  for  the  fact  that  it  confines  its 
work  to  the  hickories  and,  also,  in  the  fact  that  the  adults  appear 
in  the  spring  of  the  year  instead  of  the  fall.  For  a  long  time  it 
was  supposed  that  the  locust  borer  had  two  broods  each  year — a 


Indiana  State  Entomologist,  113 

spring  and  a  fall  brood— but  it  was  later  discovered  that  the 
spring  form  was  not  the  locust  borer  at  all,  but  the  form  under 
discussion.  The  beetle  is  not  common  in  Indiana  and  is  not  a 
serious  pest  to  hickory  trees  in  this  State. 

The  Oak  Twig  Pruner  (Elaphidion  villosum).  This  small 
beetle  causes  an  interesting,  though  not  serious,  injury  to  oak 
trees  and  sometimes  to  trees  of  other  species.     The  eggs  are  laid 


OAK  PRUNER  AND  ITS  WORK. 

in  July  on  the  twigs  of  the  trees  and  the  larva  bores  to  the  center 
of  the  twig  toward  the  base,  later  eating  away  most  of  the  woody 
tissue,  so  that  the  branch  is  held  only  by  the  bark.  The  larva 
then  retreats  into  its  burrow  and  plugs  up  the  end  of  the  boring 
with  a  plug  of  sawdust. 

The  insect  depends  upon  the  high  wind  to  break  off  the  branch 
at  the  point  where  the  tissues  are  largely  eaten  away.  In  this  way 
the  larva  reaches  the  ground  in  safety  and  the  branch  is  kept 
moist  on  the  ground  among  the  dead  leaves  during  the  winter.  The 
life  cycle  is  completed  in  one  year. 

[8—284031 


114  Fourth  Annual  Report 

The  insect  does  practically  no  injury  save  to  especially  fine 
specimens  of  trees  that  are  planted  in  parks  and  on  lawTis.  In 
any  case,  however,  the  extreme  injury  will  amount  only  to  a  slight 
pruning  of  a  few  of  the  outer  branches. 

Tent  Caterpillar  (Malacosoma  americana).  This  exceedingly 
destructive  caterpillar  winters  in  the  egg  state,  and  often  as  many 
as  three  hundred  eggs  occur  in  a  single  cluster.  The  young  cater- 
pillars hatch  in  the  early  spring,  feed  on  the  opening  leaves  and 
frequently  do  great  damage  to  a  tree.  The  larvae  build  charac- 
teristic nests  or  tents  in  which  they  remain  except  when  they 
emerge  for  feeding.  These  nests  frequently  reach  considerable 
size  and  are  conspicuous  and  unsightly.  The  full-grown  cater- 
pillars are  dark  in  color  with  bluish-yellow  spots.  Down  the  back 
there  is  a  continuous  line  of  white.  The  larval  life  is  something 
over  a  month  and  the  insect  then  enters  the  pupa  stage,  in  which 
it  remains  for  a  little  less  than  a  month.  The  adults  emerge  in 
the  early  summer  and  lay  their  eggs  on  the  twigs  for  the  next 
year.  The  Tent  Caterpillar  is  a  native  American  insect  and  its 
original  food  was  doubtless  the  Wild  Cherry,  which  it  still  attacks 
very  frequently  and  usually  in  preference  to  the  apple.  It  some- 
times occurs  in  very  injurious  numbers  in  apple  orchards  how- 
ever, and  is  a  form  which  must  be  watched  for  and  fought  vigor- 
ously when  it  appears.  In  speaking  of  the  first  American  apple 
trees  Thoreau  says,  "The  Tent  Caterpillar  saddled  her  eggs  on 
the  very  first  twig  that  was  formed  and  it  has  since  shared  her 
affection  with  the  Wild  Cherry." 

Being  an  active  leaf-eater,  this  caterpillar  is  generally  con- 
trolled by  an  arsenical  spray.  In  orchards  that  are  regularly 
sprayed  for  the  Codling  Moth  there  will  be  little  to  be  feared  from 
this  form. 

Bag  Worm  Moth  (Thyridopteryx  ephemeraeformis).  This  is 
one  of  the  most  important  leaf-eating  insects  not  only  to  shade 
trees  but  to  orchard  trees  as  well.  It  occurs  over  the  entire  State 
and  is  a  cosmopolitan  feeder,  eating  the  leaves  of  a  large  variety 
of  trees.  It  is  especially  bad  on  the  Ash  Leaf  Maple  or  Box  Elder, 
and  is  also  notably  injurious  to  the  Arbor  Vitae.  It  is  perhaps  the 
worst  pest  to  the  evergreen  trees  that  we  have;  defoliating  almost 
any  tree  of  evergreen  and  the  defoliation  is  almost  invariably  fol- 
lowed by  the  death  of  the  tree. 

The  young  caterpillars  emerge  from  their  cocoons  in  early 
•Tune  and  immediately  spin  cocoons  of  their  own,  which  they  carr>^ 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  115 

upright  for  several  days,  adding  to  the  cocoon  as  they  increase  in 
size.  The  small  bag  or  cocoon  is  soon  too  heavy  to  be  carried  in 
an  upright  position  and  it  falls  over  to  one  side  and  is  dragged 
about  by  the  caterpillar  during  the  rest  of  its  feeding  season.  The 
caterpillars  seldom  ever  emerge  from  this  bag  but  carry  it  about 
with  them  while  they  are  feeding  on  the  leaves  during  the  sum- 
mer. They  become  full-grown  about  the  last  of  August  or  the 
first  of  September.  At  this  time,  they  attach  their  bags  or  co- 
coons to  the  twigs  of  trees  where  they  are  to  remain  during  the 
winter.     Late  in  September  the  adult  moths  appear,  the  females 


BAG  WORM.    (Adult  male). 

never  leaving  the  cocoon  until  after  the  eggs  are  laid.  The  eggs 
are  laid  in  the  cocoon  previously  occupied  by  the  female  cocoon 
and  remain  in  this  cocoon  during  the  winter.  This  is  practically 
the  only  case  where  we  have  the  moth  passing  the  winter  in  the 
egg  stage  inside  of  the  cocoon. 

Some  of  the  East  India  tribes  who  believe  in  the  transmigra- 
tion of  souls  have  the  curious  tradition  that  the  bag-worm  moths 
represent  the  souls  of  men  who  stole  firewood  while  they  were 
upon  earth,  and  are  paying  for  it  by  carrying  these  small  bundles 
of  twigs  around  on  their  backs  during  their  insect  life. 

Being  an  active  leaf-eater,  the  bag-worm  moth  is  readily  con- 
trolled by  the  use  of  any  arsenical  poison,  such  as  Paris  green  or 
arsenate  of  lead.  The  arsenate  of  lead  is  preferable  because  it 
adheres  better  to  the  leaves. 

The  cocoons  can  also  be  gathered  from  the  trees  during  the 
winter  time  and  destroyed  by  burning.  If  all  of  the  cocoons  are 
removed  from  the  tree,  the  tree  can  be  protected  the  following 
summer  by  the  use  of  some  sticky  banding  material  which  will 


116 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


prevent  the  larvaj  from  crawling  up  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  Since 
the  female  moth  does  not  fly,  the  worms  can  only  reach  the  leaves 
by  crawling  up  the  trunk,  and  the  use  of  any  sticky  preparation 


THIS  TREE  WAS  FULL  OF  BAG  WORMS  WHEN  THE  PICTURE  WAS  TAKEN. 
The  leaves  were  nearly  all  eaten  and  the  foliage  effect  is  given  by  the  quantities  of  worms. 


on  the  trunk  Avill  prevent  a  reinfestation  of  the  tree.  In  selecting 
banding  materials  for  this  purpose  care  should  be  used.  No  prep- 
arations containing  tar  or  mineral  oil  should  ever  be  applied  to 
the  trunks  of  trees.     Ordinary  cotton  makes  a  satisfactory  band- 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


117 


tree  killed  1;Y  i!A(;  worms  in  INDIANAPOLIS 


lis 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


A  BAG  WORM  MOTH  IN  WINTER. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


119 


ing  material  but  it  is  not  lasting.  It  becomes  ineffective  aiiox 
a  few  hard  rains.  One  of  the  best  materials  that  I  have  ever  used 
is  a  preparation  put  out  by  the  manufacturers  of  a  brand  of  sticky 
fly  paper.     This  sticky  material  is  smeared  on  the  trunk  of  the 


TREE  KILLED  BY  BAG  WORMS. 


tree  in  a  narrow  band  and  is  convenient  to  use,  remains  sticky 
for  a  long  time  and  the  manufacturers  claim  that  it  will  not  in- 
jure the  trees,  I  have  never  known  of  any  tree  to  be  injured  by 
its  use. 


120 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


The  Fall  Web  Worm  (Hyphantria  cunea).  The  larva  of  this 
moth  is  familiar  to  nearly  everyone  as  being  a  common  pest  on 
many  of  out  native  and  cultivated  trees.  The  insect  is  perhaps 
most  common  on  the  wild  cherry,  where  its  large,  ugly  webs  may 


THE  NEST  OF  THE  FALL  VvEB  WORM. 


be  found  season  after  season.  In  habit  the  Fall  Web  Worm  is 
similar  to  the  tent  caterpillar,  though  the  latter  may  always  be 
recognized  as  a  distinct  form  simply  because  of  the  difference  in 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


121 


The  Fall  Web  "Worm  occurs  late  in  the  year  and  builds  a  web 
as  soon  as  the  caterpillars  hatch  from  the  eggs,  and  does  its  feed- 


nest  of  the  fall  web  worm  remains  in  the  tree  all  winter. 

ing  in  and  around  these  webs.  The  webs  are  persistent  on  the  tree 
throughout  the  winter  as  a  dirty,  tangled  mass  of  dead  leaves  and 
insect  remains  loosely  bound  together  with  coarse  silk.     The  Fall 


122 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Web  Worm  passes  the  winter  in  the  pupa  stage  in  a  loosely  made 
cocoon,  sometimes  within  the  borders  of  the  old  web.  Where  the 
form  occurs  on  cultivated  trees  the  webs  should  be  destroyed  with 
a  torch,  and  any  living  caterpillars  which  fall  to  the  ground  should 
be  destroyed.  A  serviceable  and  simple  torch  for  this  purpose 
consists  of  a  good-sized  corncob  soaked  in  coal  oil  and  fastened  to 
the  end  of  a  long  pole. 


LIFE  HISTORY  OF  CATALPA  SPHINX. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


123 


124 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Cafalpa  Sphinx  (Ceratomia  catalpse).  The  Cafalpa  Sphinx 
Moth  is  distributed  over  the  entire  State  and  is  now  found  in 
nearly  every  locality  where  the  eatalpa  tree  is  grown.     In  some 


DEFOLIATION  BY  CATALPA  SPHINX. 


regions  it  has  proved  a  formidable  enemy  of  eatalpa  plantings.  1 
have  seen  plantations  of  the  eatalpa  that  were  completely  de- 
foliated by  this  insect,  and  it  is  a  common  enemy  of  the  young 
eatalpa  seedlings  growing  in  the  nursery. 


Indtaka  State  Entomologist. 


irz 


126 


Foui^Tii  Annual  Report 


WORK  OF  SCOLYTUS 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  127 

There  are  at  least  two  broods  of  the  insect  each  season,  and  in 
some  localities  there  is  possibly  a  third  brood.  The  larva  of  the 
Catalpa  Sphinx  is  light  green,  variable  marked  with  black.  Often 
the  markings  change  as  the  caterpillar  develops.  At  first  the  black 
markings  may  be  confined  to  a  few  lines  of  spots.  These  spots 
will  later  merge  together  forming  broad,  black,  velvety  stripes 
running  the  full  length  of  the  insect. 

The  insect  passes  the  pupa  stage  in  the  ground  near  the  in- 
fested tree.  The  pupa  varies  from  the  typical  Sphinx  Moth  in  that 
it  does  not  have  the  peculiar  jug-handle  tongue  case. 

Spraying  with  any  of  the  arsenical  preparations  is  quite  ef- 
fective in  combating  this  insect,  provided  the  trees  are  not  too 
large.  Arsenate  of  lead  is  perhaps  the  best  preparation  to  use,  as 
it  remains  on  the  trees  for  a  longer  period.  Where  the  insect  oc- 
curs in  catalpa  plantations  the  ground  should  be  thoroughly 
plowed  and  harrowed  in  the  fall  of  the  year.  This  will  destroy 
many  of  the  insects,  and  if  a  few  hogs  can  be  turned  into  the 
ivea  they  will  destroy  the  great  majority  of  the  pupte. 

The  Engraver  Beetle  (Scolytus  rugulosus).  The  Engraver 
beetles  do  excessive  damage  to  many  of  the  forest  trees  by  boring 
between  the  bark  and  the  wood.  They  have  received  their  name 
because  of  the  characteristic  fashion  in  which  they  form  their 
galleries  in  the  living  tissues.  If  the  bark  of  an  affected  tree  be 
peeled  off,  the  tunnels  of  the  insect  will  be  found  running  out  from 
one  main  central  channel.  This  central  portion  is  the  brood 
chamber  in  which  the  adult  beetle  lays  her  eggs.  The  young 
larvae  bore  in  all  directions  from  the  brood  chamber.  As  a  rule, 
these  insects  attack  only  trees  that  have  been  weakened  by  some 
other  agency,  but  when  they  do  attack  a  tree  they  usually  make 
short  work  of  it,  often  destroying  fine  specimens.  Sometimes  only 
single  branches  are  affected  and  in  such  cases  it  is  well  to  cut  off 
and  burn  the  infested  branch  as  soon  as  its  condition  becomes 
known. 

Tussock  Moth  (Hemerocampa  leucostigma) .  This  is  perhaps 
the  worst  leaf-eating  pest  that  we  have  in  the  cities  of  Indiana. 
Many  varieties  of  shade  trees  are  attacked  by  it,  but  they  are  no- 
toriously injurious  to  the  Horse-Chestnut,  Linden  and  the  Maple. 
The  Tussock  Moth  ranges  throughout  Eastern  America,  being  a 
cosmopolitan  insect  both  in  range  and  food  plant.  In  some  seasons 
the  larva  of  this  moth  is  an  exceedingly  injurious  form  in  the 
apple  orchards  where  it  is  taken  care  of  by  the  incidental  spray- 


128  Fourth  Annual  Report 

ings  which  are  part  of  the  routine  work  in  the  management  of  any 
orchard. 

There  are,  normally,  two  broods  of  Tussock  Moths  each  season, 


DEFOLIATION  BY  TUSSOCK  MOTH. 


although  some  seasons  the  third  brood  is  developed.  Often  the 
third  brood  is  killed  by  frost.  I  have  often  seen  the  caterpillars 
of  the  third  brood  as  late  as  November,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  129 

very  many  of  these  third  brood  caterpillars  survive  the  winter. 
Normally,  the  insect  passes  the  winter  in  the  egg  stage;  the 
larvae  appearing  in  the  early  spring.  The  adult  moths  mature 
some  time  in  July,  and  the  female  moth  usually  lays  the  eggs 
directly  on  or  very  near  the  cocoon  from  which  she  has  just 
emerged.  These  cocoons  are  very  often  built  in  sheltered  places 
afforded  by  the  overlapping  weather-boards  on  houses  and  in 
large   cracks  in   the   bark   of   trees.     This   fact   is   an   important 


female  of  the  tussock  moth  laying  eggs. 

point  in  the  control  of  the  pest.  If  the  eggs  are  not  laid  directly 
on  the  trees  and  since  the  female  is  wingless,  it  follows  that  any 
of  the  caterpillars  that  reach  the  leaf  surfaces  must  do  so  by  crawl- 
ing up  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  Consequently,  the  damage  from  this 
pest  can  be  completely  prevented  by  banding  the  trees  with  some 
sticky  material  as  has  been  recommended  in  the  case  of  the  Bag- 
Worm  Moth.  In  case  the  larvae  should  reach  the  leaves  before 
their  presence  is  detected  they  can  be  destroyed  by  spraying  the 
trees  with  a  solution  of  arsenate  of  lead  in  the  proportion  of  3 
pounds  to  50  gallons  of  water. 

This  is  one  of  the  native  insects  that  is  commonly  controlled 
by  parasites  so  that,  as  a  rule,  we  do  not  have  two  years  of  severe 
Tussock  Moth  injury  in  succession. 
[9—284031 


I'M 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


KUG  MASS  OF  TUSSOCK  MOTH. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  131 

The  Elm  Leaf  Beetle  (Galerucella  luteola  Mull).  "This  im- 
ported insect  is,  in  all  probability,  responsible  for  more  ruined  elm 
trees  in  the  Hudson  River  Valley  than  all  other  destructive 
agencies." — (E.  P.  Felt.) 

This  European  insect  has  been  injurious  through  the  eastern 
States  for  the  last  75  years,  and  has  wrought  a  great  deal  of  de- 
struction to  the  elm  trees  of  that  section.  During  recent  years, 
the  insect  has  migrated  to  the  Ohio  River  Valley  and  about  six 
years  ago  made  its  first  appearance  in  southern  Indiana.  1  have 
seen  elm  trees  completely  stripped  of  their   folir.ge   in   Harrison 


jWv. 


adults  of  elm  leaf  beetles. 

County,  and  the  pest  has  become  an  exceedingly  injurious  insect 
throughout  the  southern  counties.  In  the  town  of  Corydon,  the 
beautiful  elm  trees  have  been  stripped  of  their  foliage,  and  the 
famous  Constitutional  Elm,  under  which  the  Constitution  of  In- 
diana was  written,  has  been  somewhat  injured  by  the  work  of  this 
pest.  The  district  of  Kentucky,  immediately  across  the  river  from 
Harrison  County,  is  badly  infested  with  the  insect,  as  is  most  of 
the  State  of  Kentucky.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  tlie 
insect  will  not  spread  northward  through  the  State  of  Indiana, 
making,  in  this  way,  another  argument  in  favor  of  discarding  the 
elm  tree  as  a  tree  to  plant  along  our  city  streets.  With  the  in- 
creasing number  of  pests  which  this  tree  has  to  face  it  is  only  a 
short  time  until  the  elm  trees  of  our  cities  will  be  an  expensive 
luxury. 

LIFE   HISTORY. 

The  adult  beetles  pass  the  winter  in  sheltered  cracks  and  in 
trash  and  rubbish  on  the  ground  around  the  tree.  When  the  young 
leaves  unfold,  the  beetles  begin  to  eat  small  round  holes  through 


132 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


them.  Many  leaves  are  thus  destroyed  before  the  main  brood  of 
the  insect  appears.  A  little  later  in  the  spring  the  females  lay 
small  clusters  of  yellow,  bottle-shaped  eggs  on  the  under  side  of 
the  leaves.     The  egg  laying  period  extends  over  about  a  month, 


,      Jt*^*^ 


WORK  OF  ELM  LEAF  BEETLE.    (Adult.) 


each  female  laying  several  hundred  eggs.  In  a  little  less  than  ten 
days  these  eggs  hatch  and  the  young  larvae  feed  upon  the  under 
surface  of  the  leaf,  leaving  the  veins  and  the  upper  surface  of  the 
leaf  intact.     Thus  differing  distinctly  in  their  injury  from  that 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


133 


caused  by  the  adult  beetle,  which  eats  the  entire  tissue  of  the  leaf 
from  surface  to  surface.  The  larvae  require  about  three  weeks 
in  order  to  complete  their  full  growth  and  at  that  time  they  crawl 


WORK  OF  ELM  LEAF  BEETLE.    (Larva.) 


down  the  trunks  of  the  trees  and  transform  to  the  pupa  condi- 
tion, either  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  or  in  some  shelter  which 
they  find  near  the  tree.  They  are  sometimes  found  in  enormous 
numbers  protected  by  the  pasteboard  advertising  signs  tacked  on 


134 


FouETH  Annual  Report 


trees  along  the  roadside.  In  about  ten  days  the  adult  beetles  ap- 
pear and  lay  eggs  for  the  second  brood.  This  second  brood  is 
sometimes    of    more    serious    consequence    than    the    first    brood 


WORK_OF  ELM  LEAF  BEETLE.     (Larva.) 

inasmuch  as  it  causes  a  defoliation  of  the  trees  a  second  time,  with- 
out giving  them  an  opportunity  to  recuperate  from  the  shock  of  the 
first  defoliation. 

The  foregoing  description  is  probably  sufficient  to  enable  any- 
one to  recognize  the  pest  should  it  appear  in  their  vicinity,  but 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  135 

owing  to  the  fact  that  this  insect  is  entirely  new  to  a  large  por- 
tion of  Indiana,  I  will  give  the  following  complete  description  of 
the  various  stages. 

The  adult  beetle  is  a  dull  yellow  color  and  each  wing  cover  has 
a  distinct  black  stripe  extending  from  the  base  of  the  wing  to  the 
extremity  just  along  the  outside  edge.  The  legs  and  antennae  of 
the  beetle  are  yellow.  In  size,  the  beetle  is  about  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  length.  The  eggs  are  bright  yellow  in  color  and  at  first 
glance  resemble  the  eggs  of  the  Colorado  Potato  Bug,  although  a 
trifle  smaller  in  size.  They  are  packed  in  a  group  on  the  under 
side  of  the  leaf  in  Clusters  from  ten  to  thirty.  The  very  young 
larva  is  dark  and  covered  with  small  tubercles  bearing  black  hairs, 
giving  it  the  general  color  effect  of  being  black.  The  larva  in- 
creases in  size  rapidly  and  molts  a  number  of  times  before  be- 
coming full  grown.  When  it  reaches  its  full  length  of  about  one- 
half  inch,  it  is  dull  yellow  in  color  and  with  two  longitudinal  black 
stripes  along  the  back.  The  pupa  is  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
in  length  and  bright  orange  yellow  in  color  with  small  black  hairs 
or  spines.  Under  badly  infested  trees  the  pupa  can  be  found  in 
immense  numbers  in  their  season  and  it  is  a  good  plan  to  gather 
them  at  this  time  and  destroy  them.  This  can  be  done  either  with 
the  use  of  gasoline  or  with  boiling  water. 

Dr.  W.  E.  Britton  reports  the  fact  that  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant natural  enemies  of  the  Elm  Leaf  Beetle  in  Connecticut 
is  the  fungus  which  is  known  to  botanists  as  Sporotrichium 
globuliferium.  This  fungus  attacks  the  pupa  and  adult  in  the  late 
summer,  especially  in  moist  seasons.  During  the  past  season  we 
found  this  fungus  prevalent  to  considerable  extent  on  the  insects 
which  appeared  in  Harrison  County,  contrary  to  Dr.  Britton 's 
statement.  This  insect  was  unusually  noticeable  the  past  season. 
which  was  a  very  dry  one  in  southern  Indiana.  The  insects  which 
are  attacked  by  this  fungus  appear  covered  with  a  white  mold. 
While  this  fungus  will  no  doubt  materially  assist  in  keeping  the 
pest  under  control,  it  must  not  be  depended  upon  for  too  much. 
Wherever  the  insects  appear  the  trees  will  have  to  be  sprayed  with 
a  solution  of  arsenate  of  lead  at  the  rate  of  3  pounds  to  50  gal- 
lons of  water.  By  spraying  the  trees  early  in  the  spring  as  soon 
as  the  adult  beetles  appear,  the  later  injury  from  the  larvae 
can  be  prevented  to  considerable  extent.  In  some  sections  of  the 
east  they  prefer  to  wait  until  the  young  larvae  are  hatching  and 
then  spray  the  trees  thoroughly  at  that  time.  It  is  claimed  by 
some  that  with  this  practice  a  single  spraying  is  sufficient  to  con- 


136  Fourth  Annual  Report 

trol  the  pest,  whereas  in  the  early  spraying  for  the  destruction  of 
the  adult  beetle  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  repeat  the  spray  several 
times,  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  is  liable  to  be  washed  off  by  the 
spring  rains.  The  later  application  applied  for  the  destruction 
of  the  larvas  is  put  on  after  the  spring  rains  have  stopped,  and 
the  poison  usually  remains  on  the  leaves  throughout  the  summer. 
Spiny  Elm  Caterpillar  (Vanessa  antiopa).  This  caterpillar  is 
the  larval  stage  of  an  exceedingly  beautiful  and  interesting  butter- 
fly known  as  the  Camberwell  Beauty.  The  adult  butterfly  passes 
the  winter  sheltered  in  some  hollow  tree  or  other  protected  place 


ADULT  OF  SPINY  ELM  CATERPILLAR. 
(Camberwell  Beauty  Butterfly.) 

and  appears  with  the  first  warm  days  of  spring,  for  it  is  our 
earliest  butterfly.  The  eggs  are  laid  in  masses  on  the  twigs  of 
elm  and  sometimes  on  other  trees.  The  young  larvas  feed  on  the 
opening  buds  and  young  leaves  of  the  trees,  very  often  doing  ex- 
tensive injury  by  defoliating  large  branches  or  even  whole  trees. 
The  insects  rarely  appear  in  injurious  numbers  two  years  in  suc- 
cession, owing  to  the  fact  that  they  are  kept  under  control  by 
various  parasites.  Wlierever  they  do  appear  in  large  numbers, 
they  can  be  destroyed  by  spraying  the  trees  with  arsenate  of  lead 
as  recommended  for  the  Elm  Leaf  Beetle, 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


137 


SPINY  ELM  caterpillars  ON  LEAF. 


138 


Fourth  Annual  Repoet 


GRAPTA  SP.  IN  WINTER. 


Indiana  State  Entomologi 


139 


semicolon  butterfly. 


a  nest,  of  walnut  worms. 


140  Fourth  Annual  Report 

Grapta  Interrogationis  Fab.  This  butterfly  has  a  similar 
life  history  to  the  Camberwell  Beauty  and  its  injury  is  almost 
identical  with  that  species.  It  also  confines  its  depredations  almost 
exclusively  to  the  elm. 

The  Walnut  Woryn  (Datana  integerrima).  The  Walnut  Worm 
is  the  larva  of  a  pretty  brown  moth  which  is  frequently  captured 
by  collectors  in  native  woods.  The  larva  confines  its  feeding  al- 
most exclusively  to  the  walnut  and  hickory  trees,  where  it  feeds 


LARVA  OF  WALNUT  WORM. 

in  compact  colonies.  The  worms  are  quite  dark  in  color  and  have 
conspicuous  long,  white  hair.  It  has  the  interesting  habit  of  crawl- 
ing down  the  trunk  of  a  tree  and  gathering  in  a  cluster  at  moult- 
ing time.  If  the  trees  are  carefully  watched,  these  clusters  can 
readily  be  gathered  and  the  larvas  destroyed  mechanically.  The 
larva  is  well  illustrated  in  the  accompanying  cut. 

The  June  Beetle  (Lachnosterna  sp.).  The  June  Beetle  or 
"June  Bug"  is  a  common  insect  late  in  spring  or  early  summer. 

The  larva  live  in  the  sod,  feeding  on  the  roots  of  grass  and 
other  plants  and  are  the  common  "white  grubs."  Serious  damage 
is  often  done  to  pasture  lands.  Deep  fall  ploughing  and  the  use 
of  kainit  at  the  rate  of  half  a  ton  per  acre  will  drive  out  most 
of  the  insects. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


141 


ash  tree  defoliated  by  "JUNE  BUGS. 


142  FOQKTII    AXNUAL    REPORT 

The  adults  are  night  flyers  and  often  injure  the  foliage  of 
trees  and  shrubs.  During  the  last  season  some  of  the  white  ash 
trees  in  Crown  Hill  Cemetery  were  completely  defoliated  by  this 
beetle.  Since  their  work  is  done  at  night  it  is  sometimes  puzzling 
to  the  observer,  who  is  unable  to  find  an  insect  at  work  during  the 
day.  As  a  rule,  the  damage  is  done  early  in  the  evening  between 
dusk  and  10:00  o'clock.  Arsenic  in  any  form  is,  of  course,  ef- 
fective. 

The  complete  life  history  of  the  several  species  is  not  clearly 
recorded  either  as  to  the  length  of  the  larval  period  or  as  to  the 
time  of  emergence  of  the  adult.  The  latter  seems  to  vary  con- 
siderably and  I  have  found  recently  transformed  specimens  from 
May  till  mid-autumn. 


SEVENTEEN  YEAR  LOCUSTS. 

The  Seventeen  Year  Locust  (Tibicen  septendecim).  The  Sev- 
enteen Year  Locust,  or  Periodical  Cicada  as  it  is  more  properly 
called,  occasionally  injures  shade  trees  by  laying  eggs  in  the 
smaller  twigs.  The  injury  is  but  slight,  however,  and  the  fact 
that  it  occurs  only  once  in  seventeen  years  makes  the  insect  a  form 
which  needs  receive  but  little  attention   from   the  tree  growers. 


liN DIANA  State  Entomologist. 


143 


The  eggs  are  usually  laid  in  rough  slits  cut  in  the  under  side  of 
the  twig  and  as  soon  as  they  hatch  the  young  Cicadas  fall  to  the 
ground  where  they  immediately  bury  themselves  to  feed  on  the 
roots  of  plants  during  the  balance  of  their  period  of  development. 


^^HSl 


EIGHT-SPOTTED  FORESTER  A  COMMON  MOTH. 


SCALE  INSECTS  OF  INDIANA. 


In  the  previous  reports  I  have  treated  of  the  more  important 
scale  insects  which  occur  in  this  State  and  have  given  directions  for 
their  control.  Many  minor  forms  were  left  out  of  the  former  pub- 
lications and  it  is  my  desire  at  this  time  to  present  a  -complete 
list  of  the  scales  known  to  occur  in  the  State,  t  realize  that  an 
extended  account  of  obscure  forms  would  be  out  of  place  in  a 
document  intended  to  be  strictly  economic  in  its  character.  As  a 
result  most  of  the  descriptions  will  be  as  brief  as  is  consistent  with 
a  clear  understanding  of  the  identity  of  the  insect.  The  accom- 
panying cuts  will  also  tend  to  reduce  the  necessity  for  long  tech- 
nical descriptions.  The  diiferent  species  are  arranged  in  the  order 
given  them  in  Fernald's  Catalogue  of  the  Coccidffi  of  the  "World 
and  the  nomenclature  of  that  catalogue  has  been  followed.    When- 


UNDERSIDE  OF  LECANIUM  SCALE.    (Magnified.) 

ever  there  has  been  any  doubt  of  the  identity  of  a  specimen,  I  have 
had  my  determinations  verified  by  Dr.  L.  0.  Howard  of  Washing- 
ton, whom  I  desire  to  thank  for  his  assistance  in  this  line  and  for 
many  other  favors  extended  to  me.  I  am  also  indebted  to  my  as- 
sistant, Mr.  Harold  Morrison,  for  several  new  records,  especially 
in  the  genus  Kermes.  All  of  the  photographs  accompanying  the 
descriptions  are  originals  prepared  by  or  under  the  direction  of 
the  writer. 

[10—28403]  145) 


146  Fourth  Annual  Repoet 

Scale  insects  are  so  called  because  of  the  fact  that  many  of 
them  secrete  a  peculiar  substance  which  forms  a  distinct  shell  or 
scale  over  the  body  of  the  insect.  This  shell  is  simply  a  protective 
covering  of  the  soft  body  of  the  insect  proper.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  when  we  look  at  a  branch  badly  infested  with,  let  us  say, 
San  Jose  scale  we  do  not  see  any  of  the  insects  themselves  but  only 
the  protective  scales  with  which  they  are  covered.  If  this  scale 
should  be  carefully  removed  we  would  find  the  soft  yellow  body  of 
the  insect  under  it.  In  the  case  of  the  large,  rounded  scales  such 
as  the  "Lecaniums"  we  find  this  scale  plate  becomes  a  portion  of 
the  body  wall  of  the  insect.  It  might  be  compared  with  the  cara- 
pace or  the  top  shell  of  the  turtle.  The  scale  insects  belong  to 
the  Hemiptera,  a  great  group  of  injurious  insects  all  of  which  ob- 
tain their  food  by  sucking  the  juices  from  the  plant  on  which  they 
feed.  The  group  comprises  many  of  our  most  injurious  insects, 
some  of  which  are  exceedingly  difficult  to  control.  Some  of  the 
most  serious  forms  have  been  introduced  into  this  country  from 
other  countries,  largely  on  nursery  stock  and  it  is  on  nursery 
stock  that  scale  insects  are  still  distributed  to  a  very  large  extent. 
The  adult  females  can  not  fly  and  as  a  result  the  insects  normalh^ 
reach  a  new  locality  only  by  crawling  or  by  being  carried  by  the 
wind  or  on  the  feet  of  birds. 

It  has  been  claimed  by  some  writers  that  birds  are  the  prin- 
cipal natural  agency  for  the  dissemination  of  the  scale  insects, 
'and  some  writers  have  been  bold  enough  to  assert  that  if  all  the 
birds  could  be  destroyed  that  all  of  the  scale  insects  would  be- 
come extinct  within  a  comparatively  short  time.  The  writer  who 
suggested  such  a  possibility  of  course  did  not  do  so  with  a  view 
of  recommending  that  birds  be  exterminated  on  this  account. 
The  value  which  they  do  in  destroying  other  injurious  insects  far 
outweighs  what  little  harm  they  may  do  by  distributing  scale  in- 
sects. I  am  satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  many  scale  insects 
reach  new  food  plants  by  being  carried  on  the  wind.  The  young 
scales  are  exceedingly  minute  and  can  easily  be  carried  a  distance 
of  a  number  of  yards. 

The  different  species  of  scale  insects  vary  considerably  in  their 
breeding  habits.  Some  forms  having  only  one  brood  a  year,  others 
having  many  broods.  Many  forms  pass  the  winter  in  the  egg  stage, 
while  others,  such  as  the  San  Jose  scale,  pass  the  winter  as  more 
or  less  mature  insects  and  the  first  brood  of  young  are  born  alive 
the  following  spring.     The  variation  in  the  breeding  habits  of  the 


Indiana  Statk  Entomologist.  147 

insects  has  an  important  bearing  on  the  control  measures  to  be 
adopted  for  any  special  form  and  special  emphasis  will  be  laid  on 
this  point  from  time  to  time  in  the  discussion  of  the  different 
species. 

CONTROL  OF  THE  SCALE  INSECTS. 

Thirty  years  ago,  the  problem  of  the  control  of  the  scale  insects 
was  a  comparatively  simple  one  in  America,  but  at  about  that 
time  the  San  Jose  scale  made  its  appearance  in  California  and  has 
been  spread  over  the  entire  country — becoming  our  most  injurious 
scale  insect.  Had  there  been  an  efficient  inspection  system  in 
America  at  that  time  the  San  Jose  scale  would  never  have  ob- 
tained a  foothold,  and  had  there  been  anything  like  a  reasonably 
efficient  inspection  system  in  Indiana  fifteen  years  ago  the  San  Jose 
scale  could  have  been  stamped  out  when  it  first  appeared.  Neglect 
at  that  time,  however,  meant  that  the  scale  was  to  spread  over  the 
entire  State  so  that  we  find  it  in  practically  every  county  today. 

The  problems  connected  with  the  control  of  the  San  Jose  scale 
do  not  diflfer  greatly  from  the  problems  of  the  control  of  any  scale 
insect.  All  of  the  scales  are  sucking  insects  and  obtain  their 
food,  as  has  been  stated,  by  sucking  the  j^iices  of  plants.  Con- 
sequently, to  destroy  them  we  must  employ  some  preparation  that 
will  kill  them  by  contact,  as  it  is  obvious  that  a  poison  like  Paris 
green  or  arsenate  of  lead  which  acts  internally  would  not  be  ef- 
fective in  controlling  a  pest  which  obtains  its  food  from  the  in- 
terior of  plants.  Perhaps  our  most  prominent  insecticide  at  this 
time  is  the  lime-sulphur  solution  which  is  so  widely  used  through- 
out the  country  today.  Unquestionably  the  most  satisfactory  so- 
lution that  can  be  used  for  the  control  of  any  scale  insect  is  what 
is  termed  the  Standard  Lime-Sulphur  Solution.  This  solution  is 
prepared  by  boiling  for  at  least  one  hour  50  pounds  of  lime,  50 
pounds  of  sulphur  and  150  gallons  of  water.  This  formula  can  be 
used  in  any  proportion  and  will  give  excellent  results  in  the  con- 
trol of  scale  insects,  provided  a  good  quality  of  lime  is  used  and 
also  provided  that  the  solution  is  cooked  for  the  specified  time. 
There  is  no  reason  why  the  splution  should  not  be  .just  as  effective 
applied  cold  as  applied  hot,  although  some  writers  recommend  that 
the  solution  go  on  the  trees  while  it  is  warm.  In  my  experience, 
I  have  never  seen  that  anything  was  gained  for  applying  the  solu- 
tion while  it  was  still  hot.  Certainly  nothing  is  lost  by  allowing  the 
solution  to  become  cold.  Very  often  there  will  be  considerable 
quantity  of  the  solution  left  at  the  end  of  a  day's  spraying  and 


148 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


this  would  be  wasted  if  the  former  recommendation  of  applying 
it  to  the  trees  hot  was  followed.  The  concentrated  commercial 
lime  and  sulphur  solutions  that  are  now  put  on  the  market  have 
shown  themselves  to  be  fully  equal  to  the  home-made  preparation. 
They  are  not  quite  as  cheap  as  the  home-made  solution  but  the 
saving  in  time  is  sufficient  to  make  up  the  difference  in  price.  The 
so-called  miscible  oils  had  quite  a  vogue  through  the  country  a  few 
seasons  ago,  but  I  believe  that  they  are  now  largely  replaced  by 


^'"'''              '  '*"¥jfe|^ 

"^IH 

TREES  WELL  SPRAYED  WITH  LIME  AND  SULPHUR. 


the  commercial  lime-sulphur  preparation.  I  am  sure  that  this  is  the 
condition  in  Indiana  at  least.  These  oil  preparations  never 
gave  entirely  satisfactory  results  in  the  destruction  of  scale  in- 
sects and  in  a  number  of  cases  they  appeared  to  be  positively  in- 
jurious to  the  trees. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  the  present  system  of  nursery 
inspection  that  is  in  force  over  the  United  States  was  brought 
about  largely  through  the  introduction  of  the  San  Jose  scale.  This 
insect  from  Northern  China  was  first  brought  to  California  and 
from  there  to  a  certain  section  in  the  East  where  it  vs^as  widely 
disseminated  by  a  nursery  firm  in  New  Jersey.  I  should  not  won- 
der if  the  San  Jose  scale  had  not  almost  paid  for  the  damage  it 
has  wrought  simply  by  creating  an  interest  in  the  possibility  of 
introducing  injurious  insects  from  abroad.  An  especially  care- 
ful watch  is  now  kept  on  all  shipments  of  nursery  stock  entering 
America  from  any  foreign  country  because  of  the  great  danger  of 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  149 

introducing  still  more  injurious  forms.  Under  the  horticultural 
laws  of  the  various  States  it  is  illegal  to  sell  nursery  stock  that 
is  infested  with  San  Jose  scale  or  with  any  other  injurious  insect. 
This  has  necessitated  the  development  of  some  system  of  treat- 
ment of  infested  nursery  stock  so  as  to  render  it  safe  for  plant- 
ing and,  at  the  same  time,  so  as  not  to  reduce  the  vitality  of  the 
tree.  The  fumigation  with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  has  been  demon- 
strated to  be  fully  effective  for  this  purpose  and  is  widely  em- 
ployed throughout  the  country  today.  Some  States  require  that 
all  nursery  stock  sold  shall  be  fumigated  according  to  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  entomological  department  of  that  State.  These 
recommendations  are  practically  uniform  for  the  entire  country 
and  require  that  the  trees  be  exposed  to  the  vapor  of  hydrocyanic 
acid  gas  for  a  period  of  forty-five  minutes.  This  gas  is  prepared  by 
adding  potassium  cyanide  to  dilute  sulphuric  acid.  For  each  one 
hundred  cubic  feet  of  space  in  the  fumigating  house  the  following 
formula  is  used. 

Water,  4  oz. 

Sulphuric  acid,  2  oz. 

Cyanide,  1  oz. 

The  cyanide  must  be  pure  and  fresh  if  good  results  are  to  be 
obtained.  The  water  and  acid  are  mixed  and  placed  in  a  crock 
or  jar  that  will  not  be  affected  by  the  acid.  The  cyanide  is  placed 
in  a  paper  bag  and  dropped  into  the  jar  the  last  thing  before 
closing  the  door  of  the  fumigating  house.  Lose  no  time  in  getting 
out  of  the  house  and  closing  the  door  as  the  fumes  which  are  gen- 
erated immediately  are  intensely  poisonous. 

The  Fumigating  House. 

The  house  in  which  the  trees  are  exposed  to  the  gas  must  be 
made  so  that  it  is  absolutely  air-tight.  This  can  be  accomplished 
by  making  the  walls  double  and  placing  two  layers  of  heavy  build- 
ing paper  between.  Do  not  attempt  to  make  an  old  shack  fit  for 
fumigating  purposes  by  covering  it  or  lining  it  with  paper.  Use 
great  care  to  see  that  the  roof  is  tight.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
serious  drawbacks  to  successful  fumigation.  The  gas  is  very  light 
and  if  there  is  a  slight  leak  in  the  roof  all  of  the  gas  will  escape 
before  the  scales  have  been  killed.  Many  growers  have  built 
houses  of  cement.  These  are  by  far  the  best,  as  they  are  tight,  and 
during  the  winter  they  may  be  used  to  store  tender  plants.  They 
are  also  fairly  cheap  to  build  when  you  consider  that  they  never 


.150  FouKTH  Annual  Report 

need  repairs.  The  house  should  be  made  with  a  door  than  can  be 
easily  opened  but  that  fits  tight.  A  rope  fifteen  feet  long  should 
be  tied  to  the  handle  of  the  door  with  which  to  pull  it  open  at 
the  end  of  the  fumigation  period.  A  window  should  be  provided 
in  the  back  of  the  house  and  near  the  top.  This  window  must 
be  opened  from  the  outside  the  same  way  the  door  is.  This  is  to 
allow  the  escape  of  any  gas  that  might  collect  in  the  top  of  the 
house  above  the  level  of  the  top  of  the  door.  The  light  gas  may 
form  a  pocket  in  the  top  of  the  house  and  remain  there  for  hours 
after  the  door  is  opened.  Do  not  enter  the  house  for  an  hour 
after  it  is  opened.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  dig  and  store  the  stuff 
in  the  house  dumig  the  day  and  at  night  fumigate  as  above  for 
forty  minutes.  Then  open  the  house  and  let  it  stand  till  the  next 
morning  when  the  stock  can  be  removed  in  safety. 

Some  nurserymen  have  attempted  to  economize  by  building 
their  houses  with  a  partition  door  that  can  be  used  to  reduce  the 
size  of  the  fumigating  compartment  and  thus  use  less  material. 
These  doors  can  not  be  made  tight  and  as  a  result  the  work  that 
is  done  in  them  can  not  be  effective. 

Greenhouses  are  fumigated  with  a  much  weaker  charge  of  the 
gas  producing  chemicals. 

Find  the  cubic  content  of  the  greenhouse  to  be  fumigated  and 
multiply  the  number  of  cubic  feet  by  0.15 ;  the  resulting  figure  will 
be  the  number  of  grams  of  cyanide  to  use  for  the  house.  (One 
gram  equals  about  15  grains.)  For  each  part  of  cyanide  use  two 
parts  of  sulphuric  acid  and  four  parts  of  water.  The  method  of 
measuring  triangular  shnped  houses  was  fully  explained  in  my 
first  annual  report. 


LIST  OF  SCALE  INSECTS. 


98.     Orthesia  insignis  (DougL). 

•  THE    GREENHOUSE    ORTHESIA. 

Unlike  most  of  the  scale  insects,  this  insect  is  not  fixed  but 
has  the  power  of  locomotion  and  can  crawl  from  place  to  place 
like  the  common  mealy  bugs.  It  is  common  in  many  greenhouses, 
where  it  attacks  principally  the  coleus.  Owing  to  the  tempera- 
ture conditions  in  greenhouses  this  pest  is  enabled  to  breed 
throughout  the  year,  but  the  exact  number  of  generations  has  not 
been  worked  out  to  my  knowledge. 

The  insects  can  be  controlled  by  spraying  with  a  whale  oil 
soap  solution,  but  the  most  effective  results  are  to  be  obtained 
by  the  use  of  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  in  the  greenhouse.  Full  direc- 
tions for  the  use  of  this  method  are  to  be  found  follomng  this  list 
of  species. 

233.     Kermes  andrei   (King.). 

This  round  scale  was  found  by  Mr.  Morrison  on  white  oak  near 
Noblesville.  It  is  of  no  economic  importance.  The  cut  will  enable 
it  to  be  readily  recognized. 

242.     Kermes  galUformis  (Riley.). 

This  kermes  was  found  in  Brown  and  Marion  County  by  Mr. 
INIorrison.  It  is  fairly  common  on  oaks.  The  following  descrip- 
tion is  by  Professor  King:  "A  large,  dark  gray  form,  which  turns 
to  a  nearly  white  color  when  exposed  a  season  on  the  twigs. 
*  *  *  viewed  with  a  hand  lens  the  scale  is  seen  to  be  covered 
v-;ith  minute  black  specks.    Newly  hatched  larvae  dirty  gray." 

254.     Kermes  petiti  (Erhr.). 

This  scale  is  recognized  by  the  fact  that  it  is  broader  than  it  is 
long.  It  varies  in  color  from  light  to  dark  brown  more  or  less 
mottled. 


152 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


GREENHOUSE  ORTHESIA.     (Much  enlarged). 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


153 


Ms 


;S3SS2.-^y* 


KERMES  ANDREI  AND  EULECANIUM 
COCKE  RELLI. 


KERMES  ANDREI 


154 


Fourth  Annual  Kevori 


255.     Kermes  pubescens   (Bogue.)- 

This  interesting  scale  was  found  by  j\lr.  IMorrison  on  oaks  in  In- 
dianapolis and  in  woods  near  the  city.  The  individual  scales  are 
quite  large  and  covered  with  a  distinct  down  or  pubescence.  This 
character  is  shown  in  the  cuts. 


ry^. 

■^ 

1- ' 

f\   .^.  "■  ^jfij^HH 

^11 

f 

^11  ■ 

^^^'1^^-'   'I^ 

1 

1 

\ 

1 

KERMES  PUBESCENS. 


391.     Phenacoccus  acericola   (King.). 

W^OOLLY    MAPLE    LEAP    SCALE. 

The  under  sides  of  maple  leaves  are  sometimes  almost  covered 
with  a  waxy  white  powder.  The  powder  is  bunched  in  masses  of 
varying  size  up  to  one-fourth  inch  in  length  and  these  masses 
contain  living  or  dead  female  scales.    The  male  scale  is  winged  (in 


Indiana   State  Entomologist. 


155 


the  adult)  and  is  red  in  color.  The  insect  passes  the  winter  in  a 
half  grown  condition,  hibernating  in  cracks  in  the  bark  of  the 
tree.    At  this  period  the  pest  is  easily  destroyed  by  the  use  of  the 


W^^^i 


KERMES  PUBESCENS  (Enlarged). 


lime  and  sulphur  solution.  The  spray  sliould  be  directed  especial- 
ly to  the  forks  of  branches  and  to  the  base  of  the  larger  limbs  as 
the  larvae  are  most  abundant  at  these  places. 


156 


FOUETH    AXNUAL    RepORT 


WOOLLY  MAPLE  LEAF  SCALE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 
454.     Pseudococcus  citri  (Risso). 


157 


MEALY    BUG. 

Like  the  orthesia  the  mealy  bugs  are  able  to  move  about  on 
their  food  plant  or  to  migrate  from  one  plant  to  another. 


COMMON  MEALY  BUG. 


They  are  common  on  greenhouse  plants  and  very  often  breed 
on  plants  growing  out  of  doors  in  summer.  Like  the  orthesia  this 
species  prefers  the  coleus  to  any  other  plant. 


158 


Fourth  Annual  Repojit 


COMMON  MEALY  BUG.   (Enlarged). 


Indiana  Statk  Entomologist. 


159 


It  is  probable  that  the  pest  lives  over  winter  in  greenhouses  and 
escapes  to  the  open  each  spring. 

The  adults  are  well  described  by  their  name,  but  for  more  cer- 
tain identification  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  accompanying 
cuts. 

Fumigation  or  the  use  of  whalc>  oil  soap  are  advised  as  treat- 
ment. 

490.     Psendococcus  lougispinns  (Targ.). 

LONG    SPINED    MEALY    BUG. 

This  pest  is  closely  related  to  the  preceeding  but  differs  from 
it  in  having  two  prominent  caudal  spines  longer  than  the  body. 


Jr'bijjUUOCOCCUS  LONGISPINUS. 


Tiie  species  is  figured  herewith.  This  insect  is  not  common  in  In- 
diana but  is  sometimes  found  when  inspecting  greenhouses  in  con- 
nection with  our  import  inspection  work.  It  is  controlled  by  the 
gam^  treatment  advised  for  the  above. 


160 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


506.     Pseudococcus  pseudonipae   (Cock). 

This  uncommon  Pseudococcus  has  been  found  in  several  green- 
houses during  the  course  of  the  inspection  of  foreign  nursery 
stock.     It  is  well  illustrated  in  the  accompanying  cut. 


PSEUDOCOCCUS  PSEUDONIPAE. 

638.     Pulvmaria  acericola   (Walsh  &  Riley). 

COTTONY    LEAP    SCALE    OF    THE    MAPLE. 

This  insect  is  a  close  relative  of  the  cottony  maple  scale,  which 
it  resembles  to  a  very  great  extent.  It  has  been  found  in  several 
localities  in  the  State  but  never  to  such  an  extent  as  to  cause  any 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  161 

apprehension  as  to  its  becoming  a  serious  pest.  The  insects  pass 
the  winter  attached  to  the  twigs  much  like  the  cottony  maple  scale. 
Early  in  spring  they  migrate  to  the  opening  leaves  and  attach 
themselves  to  the  under  surface.  A  white  cottony  mass  is  formed 
by  the  adult  female  scale  and  in  this  mass  are  to  be  found  the 
eggs  and  young.  This  egg  mass  is  characterized  by  four  promi- 
nent ridges  running  lengthwise  of  the  mass.  When  the  young 
hatch  they  feed  on  the  leaf  juices  and  later  migrate  to  the  twigs 
where  they  are  to  spend  the  winter. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  insect  makes  two  migrations  in  its  life 
history  which  may  account  for  the  fact  that  it  is  not  usually  a 
serious  pest. 

668.     Pulviiiaria  innumerahilis  (Rathvon). 
cottony  maple  scalp:. 

Next  to  the  San  Jose  scale  this  insect  has  done  more  damage  to 
Indiana  trees  than  any  two  scale  insects  put  together.  It  is  of  com- 
mon occurrence  over  the  State  but  is  more  common  in  the  north 
part  than  in  the  south.  In  some  cities  of  northern  Indiana  this 
pest  has  caused  great  damage  to  the  silver  maples  and  in  recent 
years  has  attacked  the  native  hard  maple,  often  spreading  from  the 
locality  of  the  town  into  the  surrounding  timber  land.  I  have 
found  it  in  the  woods  far  from  any  town,  on  not  only  the  various 
maples  but  on  the  linden  and  elm  as  well.  Ordinarily,  however, 
we  think  of  it  as  a  pest  of  city  streets. 

The  adult  scales  pass  the  winter  attached  to  the  under  sides 
of  the  twigs  of  trees.  Early  in  the  spring  these  scales  develop 
a  conspicuous  white  egg  mass  and  the  young  scales  soon  make  their 
way  to  the  undersides  of  the  new  leaves  and  green  twigs  where 
they  attach  themselves  for  the  rest  of  their  life  period.  The  scales 
that  attach  to  the  leaves  perish  in  the  wijiter  when  the  leaves  fall 
to  the  ground  and  those  on  the  young  twigs  carry  the  pest  over 
the  winter.     There  is  only  one  brood  a  year. 

The  leaves  on  badly  infested  trees  are  often  so  1)adly  covered 
that  they  fall  during  the  middle  of  the  summer,  first  turning  yel- 
low. As  a  rule  the  tree  does  not  die  for  several  seasons  after  it 
first  becomes  infested.  The  first  infestation  may  seem  trivial  and 
probably  will  attract  no  special  attention,  but  it  is  at  this  time  that 
the  insect  can  best  be  exterminated.  If  an  infested  tree  is  al- 
lowed to  go  untreated  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time  until  it  succumbs 

[11—28403] 


1G2 


FouRTn  Annual  Report 


COTTONY  MAPLE  SCALE, 


Tnhtana  State  ENTo:\InT.()nl^ 


163 


^. 


TREi:  ALMOST   KILLED  BY  COTTONY  MAPLE  SCAl.i:, 
Often  the  tree  will  ba  killed  with  the  exception  of  a  single  branch.    This  branch 
alive  tor  several  sea^ions  after  the  rest  of  the  tree  is  dead. 


164 


Fourth  Axnual  Report 


COTTONY  MAPLE  SCALE  ON  LEAF  IN  SUMMER. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


165 


to  the  work  of  this  pest.  It  is  a  characteristic  of  the  insect  that  it 
attacks  trees  and  kills  them  branch  by  branch.  Otherwise  healthy 
looking  trees  often  show  the  work  of  this  scale  by  dead  branches 


cottony  maple  scale  in  winter.      (Enlarged). 

in  the  tops.  Sometimes  a  tree  will  be  killed  with  the  exception 
of  a  single  branch  which  for  some  reason  escapes  the  effects  of 
the  insect. 

The  fact  that  the  scales  attach  themselves  to  the  under  sides  of 
the  twigs  makes  this  a  comparatively  easy  scale  to  control.  The 
individual  scales  are  in  a  position  where  they  will  be  easily  hit 
by  the   spray   solution   directed   from  the   ground.      The   proper 


J66  FoTJR'j'it  Annual  Report 

solution  to  employ  is  the  lime-sulphur  wash  made  by  boiling  50 
lK)unds  of  lime  and  50  pounds  of  sulphur  in  150  gallons  of  water 
at  least  an  hour.  This  home  boiled  mixture  can  be  omitted  and 
a  commercial  solution  use.  The  commercial  solution  is  obtainable 
in  concentrated  form  and  should  be  diluted  with  nine  volumes  of 
water  so  that  each  gallon  of  the  commercial  solution  makes  ten 
gallons  as  it'  goes  on  the  tree.  The  solution  should  be  applied  as 
soon  in  the  fall  as  the  leaves  are  off  the  trees. 


# 


COTTONY  MAPLE  SCALES  THAT  HAVE  BEEN  KILLED  BY  PARASITES 
Notice  exit  holes  in  shelL 

699.     Pulvinaria  vitis    (Linn.). 

COTTONY  GRAPE  SCiVLE. 

This  member  of  the  genus  Pulvinaria  resembles  the  cottony 
maple  scale  very  closely.  It  has  been  found  in  two  localities  in 
southern  Indiana  and  in  Indianapolis.  The  life  history  is  similar 
to  the  Cottony  Maple  Scale,  but  unlike  that  pest  it  seldom  does 
any  considerable  damage.  In  case  it  should  increase  to  a  serious 
extent  the  measure  advised  against  its  relative  will  be  found  effec- 
tive for  its  control. 

848.     Coccus  hesperichirn  Linn. 

SOFT    SCALE. 

This  small  brown  scale  is  a  common  pest  of  greenhouse  plants 
and  is  very  common  on  a  certain  chiss  of  tender  shrubs  like 
oleander,  lemon  and  so  on.  The  soft -bodied,  light  brown  scales  at- 
tach themselves  to  the  leaves — usually  along  the  veins.    The  tender 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


16' 


SOFT  SCALE. 


168  FouKTH  Annual  Repokt 

twigs  are  often  attacked  also.     The  insect  is  well  shown  in  the  ac- 
companying cuts. 

The  infested  plants  may  be  sprayed  with   whale   oil   soap   or 
with  a  dilute  lime  and  sulphur  solution.     I  have  used  the  commer- 


YOUNG  OF  THE  SOFT  SCALE. 

cial  solution  diluted  one  to  twenty  with  very  good  success  and  with 
no  injury  to  the  foliage  of  lemon.  I  am  not  able  to  say  what  ef- 
fect this  solution  would  have  on  other  greenhouse  plants  as  I 
have  never  tried  it.  The  scales  are  also  readily  killed  by  the  hydro- 
cyanic acid  gas  fumigation. 


JiNrniANA  State  ENT0^^0L0GTS'I^ 
913.     Eulecanium  aurautkicnm   (Hunter). 


169 


OSAGE   LECANIUM. 

This  iiniinportaiit  scale  was  found  on  an  old  osage  hedge  near 
Lawrence,  Indiana.  The  mature  scales  are  about  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter  and  of  a  dark  brown  color.  All  that  I  found 
were  parasitized  and  I  have  no  reports  from  other  localities. 


EULECANIUM  CARYAE 


170 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


918.     Eulecanium  caryae  (Fitch). 

HICKORY  LECANIUM. 

This  common  lecanium  is  to  be  found  on  twigs  of  hickory,  wal- 
nut, elm  and  other  native  forest  trees.  Individual  specimens  are 
almost  hemispherical  in  shape  and  of  a  dark  brown  color.  Like 
most  of  its  allies  it  is  controlled  by  parasites  and  seldom  does  any 
considerable  damage. 


EULECANIUM  CARYAE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist 
924.     Euhcanium  cockerelli  Hunter. 


171 


COCKERELL  S  T.ECANHIM. 


While  this  species   has  been   teclmically   described   it  is   now 
considered   to   be   simply   a    distorted    form    of   E.    caryae.      The 


SMALL  BLACK  BEETLE  EATING  EULECANIUM  CARYAE.     (Enlarged.) 


EULECANIUM  COCKERELLI. 


"species"  is  characterized  by  two  prominent  humps  as  shown  in 
the  cut.  All  specimens  of  this  sort  are  found  to  be  parasitized, 
which  accounts  for  the  distorted  form  referred  to. 


172  Fourth  Annual  Report 

925.     Eulecanium  corni  (Bouche.). 

This  small  light  brown  leeanium  is  becoming  common  in  the 
central  part  of  the  State.     I  have  found  it  in  a.nd  around  In- 


EULECANIUM  CORNI. 


dianapolis  and  in  some  cases  it  is  doing  considerable  damage.  In 
the  city  nurseries  at  Riverside  Park  this  form  was  found  on  the 
sweet  gum  in  numbers  sufficient  to  cause  serious  results.     The  in- 


Indiana  State  Entomot.ogist.  173 

festation  was  taken  in  hand  proiuptly  by  the  superintendent  of 
the  nursery  and  by  cutting  and  spraying  the  species  has  been 
practically  exterminated. 

At  another  place  in  Riverside  Park  I   found  the  species  on 
hackberrv  to  such  an  extent  that  branches  had  been  killed.     Like 


EULECAXIUMTORXI, 

most  other  lecaniums  this  species  is  heavily  parasitized  and  a  sea- 
son of  severe  injury  is  followed  by  a  period  of  comparative  free- 
dom from  injury. 

I  have  also  found  the  species  on  elm,  euonymus  and  have  it 
reported  from  Wabash  County  on  walnut  and  "fruit"  trees. 

Wherever  the  species  is  found  it  should  be  handled  exactly  like 
San  Jose  scale  and  its  natural  enemies  should  not  be  depended 
upon  to  hold  it  in  check.  The  lime-sulphur  wash  will  be  found 
entirely  satisfactory  as  a  winter  spray. 

935.     Eulecanium  fletcJteri  (Cock). 

This  Eulecanium  was  found  on  Arbor  Vitae  north  of  Indian- 
apolis. It  is  an  unusual  form  and  is,  I  think,  the  only  eulecanium 
recorded  on  conifers  in  this  State.  The  individual  scales  are  hemi- 
spherical and  light  brown  in  color.  It  is  an  insect  of  no  economic 
importance. 


174 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


EULECANIUMS  THAT  ARE  INFESTED  BY  A  PARASITIC  FUNGUS. 
Notice  the  rod  shaped  projections  on  the  scales.     (Enlarged.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


175 


950.     Eulecannim  nigrofasciatum  (Perg.). 

TERRAPIN    SCALE. 

This  interesting  lecanium  is  reported  from  a  few  localities  in 
northern  Indiana  where  its  work  is  confined  to  the  silver  maple. 


EULECANIUMS  THAT  ARE  INFESTED  BY  A  PARASITIC  FUNGUS. 
Notice  the  rod  shaped  projections  on  the  scales. 


The  adults  are  readily  recognized  owing  to  the  fact  that  no  other 
lecanium  is  so  brightly  colored.     The  general  color  is  brown  con- 


176 


FouETH  Annual  Repoet 


spicuously  marked  with  red  and  black  giving  the  insect  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  a  painted  turtle. 

In  some  localities  in  the  East  this  scale  has  attracted  a  great 
deal  of  attention  as  a  pest  of  the  peach  and  some  States  have 
issued  warnings  to  the  peach  growers  to  be  prepared  to  fight  the 
pest  in  their  orchards.  The  injury  is  not  so  much  to  the  tree  as 
to  the  fruit.     The  insects  excrete  a  large  quantity  of  the  sub- 


TEREAPIN  SCALE. 


stance  known  as  honey  dew  and  this  collects  on  the  fruit  and 
furnishes  a  medium  for  -the  growth  of  a  black  fungus.  In  this 
way  the  peaches  are  rendered  unsightly  and  unfit  for  market. 

Professor  Symons  of  Maryland  has  done  considerable  experi- 
mental spraying  for  the  control  of  this  scale  and  states  that  the 
lime-sulphur  solution  is  not  effective  as  a  control  measure.  A 
series  of  experiments  showed  that  the  only  solution  that  could  be 
depended  upon  was  one  of  the  so-called  miscible  oils  diluted  one 
to  fifteen.  This  solution  was  foimd  to  be  effective  if  applied  in 
the  spring  just  before  the  buds  opened.     Some  injury  to  the  tree 


Indiana  State  Entomologist 


177 


is  to  be  expected  where  miscible  oils  are  used,  but  it  is  found  that 
this  injury  is  less  in  the  spring  than  at  any  other  time.  Profes- 
sor Symons  advises  the  use  of  the  oil  to  control  the  scale  and 
states  that  it  is  better  to  risk  some  injury  to  the  tree  than  to  suf- 
fer the  continued  loss  of  crop  by  the  work  of  the  insect. 


TERRAPIN  SCALE.     (Enlarged^ 

972.     Eulecanium  tulipiferae  (Cook). 

This  lecanium  is  confined  to  the  tulip  tree   (yellow  poplar  of 

commerce)   and  sometimes  does  considerable  damage.     The  large 

brown  insects  sometimes  become  so  thick  on  the  tree  that  they 

completely  cover  the  branches,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  cut. 

[12— 2840.S] 


178 


FouETH  Annual  Repor'j 


There  is  only  one  brood  of  the  insects  each  year.  They  appear 
in  early  summer  and  the  young  at  once  migrate  to  the  tender 
twigs  where  they  may  be  found  in  large  numbers. 

This  scale  was  first  called  to  my  attention  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Milhous 
of  Valley  Mills,  who  reported  it  on  a  tree  near  that  town.  The 
photographs  were  made  from  Mr.  Milhous 's  specimens.  Since  that 
time  it  has  been  reported  from  Darlington  and  from  Cass  County. 


A  BAD  CASE  OF  TULIP  SCALE. 


Winter  spraying  with  the  lime  and  sulphur  will  give  good  re- 
sults in  controlling  this  pest.  The  spray  is  best  applied  just 
after  the  leaves  fall  in  autumn. 


Indiana  Statk  Entomologist. 


179 


TULIP  SCALE. 


YOUNG  TULIP  TREE  SCALES. 


180 


FouETH  Annual  Repout 


YOUNG  OF  THE  TULIP  SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


181 


eulecanium  hemispherica. 


182  FoTTETH  Annual  Report 

993.     Saissetia  hemispherica  (Targ.)- 

HEMISPHERICAL   SCALE. 

This  small,  hemispherical  lecanium  is  a  coiiiuion  pest  in  green- 
houses, where  it  is  espeeially  common  on  the  Boston  fern.  Badly 
infested  specimens  should  have  the  worst  injured  fronds  removed 


HEMISPHERICAL   SCALE.     (Enlarged.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologis'j 


183 


and  the  balance  of  the  plant  should  be  dipped  in  a  solution  of 
whale  oil  soap.  Fumigation  with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  will  also 
be  found  effective. 


% 


K 


^ 


BT,ACK  SCAT.K 


998.     Saissetia  oleae  (Bern.). 

BLACK   SCALE. 

This  scale  was  found  in  one  Indianapolis  greenhouse  on  a 
plant  of  ficus.  The  scales  are  easily  recognized  owing  to  a  prom- 
inent H-shaped  ridge  on  the  dorsal  surface.  In  California  this 
scale  is  regarded  as  the  worst  scale  insect  that  they  have  to  con- 
tend with.     In  that  State  it  is  combatted  by  both  spraying  and 


184 


j^'ouRTH  Anxual  Report 


fumigating.  In  some  counties  as  much  as  $200,000  per  year  is 
spent  in  fumigating  orange  trees  for  this  pest.  With  us  it  will 
remain  as  an  occasional  greenhouse  pest  as  it  doubtless  can  not 
survdve  our  northern  winters. 


THE  BLACK  SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 


Quantities  of  honey  dew  are  given  off  by  the  scale  and  on  this 
sticky  substance  a  black  fungus  grows.  This  fungus  sometimes 
covers  the  leaves  and  does  quite  as  much  damage  as  the  scale  itself. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


185 


1036.     Chionaspis  americana  (Johnson). 

ELM  SCALE. 

This  com  men  scale  resembles  both  the  common  scurfy  scale  and 
the  oyster  shell  scale,  although  it  is  not  related  to  the  latter.     It 


ELM  SCALE. 


occurs  on  elms  in  many  parts  of  the  State  and  in  some  localities 
does  considerable  damage  to  this  tree.  The  trees  around  the  state 
house  in  Indianapolis  were  formerly  crusted  with  this  species,  in 


J  86 


Fourth   Annual  Report 


TWIG  BADLY  INFESTED  WITH  SCURFY 
SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 


SCURFY  SCALE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  187 

spite  of  the  fact  that  a  local  tree  doctor  had  sprayed  them  each 
year  with  a  "secret"  preparation  for  killing  "scale."  After 
some  difficulty  I  induced  the  custodian  of  the  building  to  purchase 
a  small  spraying  outfit  and  after  a  course  of  treatment  with  the 
lime  and  sulphur  solution  the  trees  were  rendered  free  from  the 


SCURFY  SCALE. 

pest.  At  the  present  time  a  change  of  administration  has  taken 
place  and  the  spray  pump  is  rusting  in  the  basement  while  the 
scale  again  waxes  fat  on  the  shade  trees.  There  is  another  chance 
for  the  quack  tree  doctor. 

1045.     Chionaspis  corni  (Cooley). 

This  scale  was  found  on  Cornus  alternifolia  in   the  northern 
part  of  the  State.    It  is  of  no  economic  importance. 


188 


Fourth  Annual  Repoet 


1055.     Chionaspis  furfiira  (Fitch). 

SCURFY   SCALE. 

This  is  probably  the  most  common  scale  insect  in  Indiana.  It 
can  be  found  in  any  apple  orchard,  although  it  does  not  often  do 
any  considerable  damage.  It  is  noticed  on  the  twigs  as  small 
white  blotches  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  length.  The  male 
scales  are  smaller  and  usually  of  a  brighter  white.     The  males  also 


PINE  SCALE 

differ  in  shape  as  is  shown  in  the  cut.  The  insect  passes  the  winter 
in  the  egg  state  under  the  protective  scale  of  the  old  female.  For 
this  reason  it  is  not  an  easy  insect  to  control.  The  insecticide  em- 
ployed must  not  only  penetrate  the  scale  covering  but  must  be 
strong  enough  to  destroy  the  somewhat  resistant  eggs.     The  lime- 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  189 

sulphur  solution  is  only  fairly  successful  in  this  regard  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  miscible  oils  will  be  found  to  be  the  best  de- 
stroyers of  this  class  of  insects.  It  must  always  be  remembered 
that  the  oil  solutions  are  liable  to  cause  a  permanent  injury  to  the 
tree  that  may  be  greater  than  the  injury  of  the  scale  itself.     The 


PINEISCALE. 

eggs  of  the  scurfy  scale  are  a  reddish  purple  in  color  and  when 
the  insect  is  crushed  the  substance  of  these  eggs  is  exuded  as  a  red- 
dish juice. 

Fumigation  will  have  no  effect  on  the  insect  during  the  dor- 
mant period  so  that  the  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  treatment  of  nursery 
stock  is  no  protection  against  this  scale. 


190 


Fourth  Annuat,  Reporj' 


1078.     Chionaspis  pinifolioe   (Fiteh). 

PINE  SCALE. 

This  scurfy  scale  of  the  pine  is  common  on  various  conifers 
but  is  especially  common  on  white  pine.  With  the  accompanying 
figures  no  description  is  needed  as  the  scale  could  not  be  confused 
with  any  other  form. 


WILLOW  SCALE. 


Owing  to  the  possible  injury  to  the  foliage  it  is  impossible  to 
employ  strong  insecticides  against  this  pest.  I  have  always  ad- 
vised tlie  use  of  whale  oil  soap,  to  be  applied  early  in  the  spring. 
Good  results  generally  follow  a  thorough  use  of  this  material. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


191 


SCURFY  :5CALE  UF  THE  WILLOW. 
Showing  some  of  the  scales  removed  to  show  the  eggs  in  winter.    (Enlarged. J 


192 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


WILLOW  SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  193 

1082.     Chionaspis  salicis-nigrae  (Walsh.), 

WILLOW  scale. 

This  bright  white  scale  is  sometimes  found  on  the  .native  wil- 
lows in  various  parts  of  the  State.  It  resembles  the  common 
scurfy  scale  but  is  much  whiter.  The  life  history  is  similar  to 
the  common  scurfy  scale  and  the  accompanying  pictures  of  the 
scales  opened  to  show  the  winter  egg  masses  would  serve  equally 
well  for  either  species. 

1127.     Aulacaspis  rosae   (Bouche). 

ROSE  scale. 

The  rose  scale  is  common  on  rose,  raspberry  and  blackberry 
plants.  It  seldom  bothers  well  cared  for  plantations,  but  often 
forms  a  crust  on  the  stems  of  neglected  plants.  The  individual 
female  scales  are  nearly  circular  in  outline  and  are  loosely  at- 
tached to  the  twig.  The  insect  passes  the  winter  as  an  immature 
individual  and  is  readily  killed  by  fumigation.  I  know  of  one 
case  where  the  canes  in  a  raspberry  patch  were  completely  crusted 
over,  but  the  year  following  no  traces  of  the  scale  were  to  be 
found.  The  careful  grower  will  not  depend  on  the  parasites  to 
keep  this  or  any  other  insect  in  check  but  will  employ  prompt 
measures  of  eradication.  In  this  case  the  lime  and  sulphur  will 
be  found  to  be  entirely  satisfactory. 

1143.     Hemichionaspis  aspidistras  Sign. 

This  scale  is  reported  from  one  locality — an  Indianapolis  green- 
house, where  it  was  doing  no  damage. 

1200.     Aspidiotus  ancylus  Put. 

PUTNAM  scale. 

This  scale  is  an  important  pest  on  many  varieties  of  both 
shade  and  fruit  trees.  It  is  a  close  relative  of  the  San  Jose  scale 
and  resembles  that  insect  to  a  considerable  extent — indeed  the 
inexperienced  entomologist  is  extremely  likely  to  get  the  two  forms 
confused. 

The  mature  female  insect  is  orange  yellow  in  color  and  is  pro- 
tected by  an  almost  circular  plate  or  scale  which  entirely  covers 
the  body.     This  plate  appears,  under  a  slight  magnification,  to  be 

[13—28403] 


194 


FoLiirrii  Annual  Report 


ROSE  SCALE  ON  RASPBERRY. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist, 


195 


^.^>t^ 


i., 't--».-'P-    .-UBS 


ROSE  SCALE. 


196  Fourth  Annual  Report 


ROSE  SCALE. 


Indtana  State  Entomologist. 


197 


BARK  FROM  HICKORY  BADLY  INFESTED  WITH  PUTNAM  SCALE 


198 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


PUTNAM  SCALl 


Indiana  .State  Entomologist. 


199 


PUTNAM  SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 


200 


FouETH  Annual  Report 


composed  of  a  series  of  rings  rising  to  a  nipple-sliaped  cone. 
These  rings  are  eccentric  in  their  arrangement  whereas  the  rings 
on  the  San  Jose  scale  are  concentric.  The  center  of  the  cone  is 
often,  although  not  always,  bright  orange  in  color. 

The  scale  passes  the  winter  as  a  more  or  less  mature  female, 


Pl'TNAiM  SfJALK 


most  if  not  all  of  the  males  perish  in  the  winter.  There  is  but  one 
brood  of  young  each  year,  but  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  winter 
is  passed  in  a  more  or  less  complete  stage  of  development,  the 
young  appear  continually  throughout  the  season. 


The  scale  sometimes  attacks  nursery  stock,  especially  soft 
maple  and  linden.  It  is  then  subject  to  fumigation  the  same  as  the 
San  Jose  scale. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  201 

1229,    Aspidiotus  forhesi  Johnson. 

CHERRY  scale. 

This  relative  of  the  San  Jose  scale  is  fairly  common  over  the 
State  on  sour  cherry.  Most  reports  of  San  Jose  on  cherry  are 
found  to  be  not  San  Jose  scale  at  all  but  this  native  scale. 


ki 


e 


\  / 


f 

\ 


AftPiDiUTU.-^  iiKDEUAK.     aMihugud., 


The  individual  insects  have  the  habit  of  locating  themselves 
under  the  loose  bark  on  the  tree.  The  scales  are  flatter,  lighter  in 
color  and  not  so  concentric  as  the  San  Jose  scale. 


202 


Fourth  Annual  Repoet 


CHERRY  SCALE.     (Enlarged.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


203 


1233.     Aspidiotus  hederae  (Vail.). 

oleander  scale. 
This   scale   is   reported   as    injuring   a   number   of   greenhouse 
plants  in  the  north,  and  many  varieties  of  plants  in  the  tropics. 


p        / '  ■  '^ 

el    ^ 

,  •' ^ 

p^*ij 

^^.                             ^i 

CHERRY  SCALE.     (Enlarged.) 


It  can  not  live  out  of  doors  in  our  northern  winters.  It  is  most 
commonly  reported  on  English  ivy  and  it  is  on  that  plant  that  I 
found  tlip  single  specimen  I  have  to  record. 


204  Fourth  Annual  Report 

The  scales  are  white  in  color  with  a  more  or  less  distinct  yel- 
low center.  They  are  nearly  circular  except  in  cases  where  the 
individuals  have  been  distorted  by  crowding. 

Like  many  other  greenhouse  scales,  these  insects  breed  through- 
out the  year  and  if  neglected  they  may  cause  considerable  damage. 
Infested  plants  should  be  fumigated  or  sprayed  with  whale  oil 
soap  at  the  rate  of  one  pound  to  four  gallons  of  water. 

1239.     Aspidiotus  jnglaiis-regiae  Comst. 

ENGLISH    WALNUT    SCALE. 

This  important  scale  insect  belongs  to  the  same  genus  that  the 
San  Jose  scale  belongs  to  and  it  resembles  that  scale  to  a  great 
degree.  The  scale  is  a  serious  pest  on  shade  trees  in  the  city  of 
Indianapolis  and  is  doubtless  to  be  found  in  other  parts  of  the 
State. 

It  is  quite  common  on  hard  maples  and  linden.  The  scales 
sometimes  cover  the  trunk  and  branches  of  the  infested  trees  and 
they  are  to  be  controlled  the  same  way  that  we  control  the  San 
Jose  scale.  The  insect  has  but  one  brood  each  year  and  for  that 
reason  it  does  not  spread  as  rapidly  as  does  the  San  Jose  scale. 

1256.     Aspidiotus  pernicious  Comst. 

SAN    JOSE    SCALE. 

It  is  probable  that  this  insect  has  done  more  to  bring  the  sul)- 
ject  of  entomology  into  the  public  eye  than  any  other  form  to  be 
found  in  America.  In  this  respect  the  San  Jose  scale  has  done 
a  great  public  service  in  the  way  of  awakening  the  public  to  the 
danger  that  confronts  America  in  the  way  of  injurious  insects 
from  abroad.  The  San  Jose  scale  was  introduced  into  America 
more  than  thirty  years  ago  on  nursery  stock  that  was  imported 
from  China.  The  scale  first  became  established  in  California  and 
was  described  by  Professor  Comstock  at  San  Jose.  It  is  from  this 
town  that  the  insect  got  its  common  name. 

Eastern  nurseries  carried  the  pest  across  the  continent  and  it 
became  established  in  New  Jersey.  The  first  record  of  the  pest  in 
Indiana  is  in  1893,  when  Mr.  Edgar  M.  Wood  of  Madison  found 
a  peculiar  condition  on  some  Seckle  pear  trees  that  he  had  pur- 
chased from  J.  L.  Lovett  of  Little  Silver,  N.  J.  These  trees  were 
submitted  to  Professor  Slingerland  of  Cornell,  who  confirmed  Mr. 
Wood's  identification  of  the  pest.    These  first  trees  were  dug  and 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


205 


.^- 


*'**# 


/ 


206 


FouKTH  Annual  Repokt 


Indfana  State  Entomologist. 


207 


burned,  but  the  next  year  Mr.  Wood  found  more  scale  on  other 
varieties  of  pear  obtained  in  the  same  lot  with  those  he  had 
])urnpd.     It  is  i)r()bal)le  that  all  of  the  trees  planted  at  that  time 


SURFACE  crusted  WITH  SAN  JOSE  SCALE. 

were  more  or  less  infested,  and  during  the  summer  of  1894  the 
insects  had  an  opportunity  to  increase  and  spread.  At  about  the 
same  time  (1894)  the  scale  was  found  on  adjoining  farms  on  peach 
trees  that  had  come  from  Parry's  nursery,  also  of  Little  Silver, 
N.  J. 


208 


Fourth  Annual  Repokt 


This  early  infestation  at  Madison  has  been  the  center  from 
which  the  scale  has  spread  in  all  directions,  until  it  now  covers 
that  entire  section. 


FEMALF,  SAN  JOSE  SCALE  WITH  YOUNG. 


In  1896,  Professor  Webster  of  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture,  found  the  scale  on  pear  trees  in  Ben  Davis.  These 
trees  also  came  from  the  Parry  nursery  at  Little  Silver,  N.  J. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


209 


It  has  been  stated  by  a  prominent  nurseryman  that  most  of 
the  scale  shipped  into  Indiana  on  nursery  stock  came  from  a  firm 
located  at  Dayton,  Ohio.     From  this  central  point  of  infestation 


SAN  JOSE  SCALE.    FEMALE  WITH  YOUNG. 

the  pest  was  sent  all  over  this  State  and  soon  the  local  nurseries 
became  infested  and  did  their  part  in  distributing  scale  to  the 
farmers. 

Life  History. — The  San  Jose  scale  begins  life  as  a  minute  sul- 
phur yellow  insect  that  is  capable  of  crawling  about  on  the  surface 
of  the  plant  on  which  its  parent  is  attached.     After  a  period  of 


[14—28403] 


210 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


MALE  SAN  JOSE  SCALES  ON  LEAF. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  211 

about  twenty-four  hours  the  young  scale  settles  down  and  attaches 
itself  to  the  surface  tissues  of  the  plant  that  it  happens  to  be  on. 
Its  feeding  beak  or  proboscis  is  inserted  through  the  bark  and  it 
obtains  its  food  by  sucking  the  juices  from  the  plant.  In  a  short 
time,  varying  some  with  the  season,  the  young  insect  secretes  a 
covering  of  white  wax.  This  little  covering  is  the  beginning  of 
what  is  to  become  the  "scale"  covering  or  shield  that  protects 
the  soft  body  of  the  insect  during  the  rest  of  its  growing  existence. 
This  plate  or  scale  is  secreted  in  rings  as  the  insect  grows  inside 
and  ultimately  it  forms  a  plate  about  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter.  The  rings  that  form  this  plate  are  concentric  and  in 
the  center  is  a  slightly  raised  place,  giving  the  scale  its  character- 
istic crater-shaped  form.  The  male  scales  are  slightly  elongated 
in  order  to  accommodate  the  developing  wings  of  the  adult  male. 
The  males  only  are  winged,  for  the  females  remain  attached  to 
the  host  plant  throughout  their  existence.  A  badly  infested  tree 
will  have  the  bark  so  covered  with  the  scale  that  no  normal  plant 
tissue  can  be  seen — the  entire  surface  is  simply  crusted.  The 
male  scales  often  attach  to  the  leaves  of  plants,  and  practically  all 
of  them  die  in  the  winter. 

The  females  pass  the  winter  in  various  stages  of  development. 
There  are  many  generations  each  year  and  the  active  scales  will  be 
found  quite  late  in  the  fall.  I  have  found  them  in  northern  In-- 
diana  late  in  November,  and  in  mild  seasons  they  may  continue 
to  breed  even  later  than  this. 

The  principal  measure  practiced  on  the  San  Jose  scale  is 
winter  spraying  with  the  lime-sulphur  solution.  This  is  simply 
a  solution  of  lime  and  sulphur  made  by  boiling  50  pounds  of  each 
in  150  gallons  of  water  for  about  an  hour.  This  preparation  will 
kill  every  scale  with  which  it  comes  in  contact.  Failures  with  it 
are  due  to  the  fact  that  it  is  not  properly  made  or  that  it  is 
poorly  applied.  A  tree  that  is  sprayed  for  any  scale  insect  must 
be  thoroughly  soaked  with  the  solution.  The  tree  must  be  just 
as  wet  as  if  it  had  been  taken  up  by  the  roots  and  dipped  into  a 
tank  containing  the  mixture.  If  the  tree  is  sprayed  from  only  one 
side  the  scales  on  the  protected  side  will  live  to  reinfest  the  entire 
tree  early  in  the  summer. 

The  commercial  lime  and  sulphur  preparations  are  fully  equal 
to  the  home-made  solutions,  and  can  be  substituted  for  it.  The  so- 
called  miscible  oils  are  not  recommended,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
when  they  are  used  strong  enough  to  kill  the  scale  they  also  prove 
injurious  to  the  tree. 


212 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Where  nurseries  are  found  infested  with  the  San  Jose  or  any 
other  scale  insect  that  winters  in  any  but  the  egg  stage  we  require 
that  all  stock  sold  be  fumigated.     This  fumigation  consists  of  ex- 


K'"ji 

Hi 

H  <^«l 

11^ 

? 

ASPIDIOTUS  RAPAX. 

posing  the  stock  to  the  vapor  of  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  for  forty- 
five  minutes.  The  question  of  fumigation  is  of  especial  interest 
only  to  nurserymen  and  it  has  been  fully  covered  in  my  first  an- 
nual report. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  213 

1261.     Aspidiotiis  rapax  Comst. 

The  female  scales  of  this  species  resemble  the  San  Jose  scale 
very  closely.  They  differ  in  that  the  scale  covering  is  less  flat- 
tened and  the  color  is  lighter.  As  in  the  Putnam  scale,  the  yellow 
insect  sometimes  shows  through  the  apex  of  the  scale  covering. 

The  species  is  confined  to  greenhouse  plants  and  is  reported 
from  only  one  locality  in  Indianapolis,  where  it  was  found  by  Mr. 
Morrison.  The  specimens  found  were  on  laurel  and  were  doing 
considerable  damage.  Isolated  cases  of  this  sort  can  probably 
best  be  handled  by  destroying  the  plants  on  which  they  occur. 

1272.     Aspidinfus  uvae  Comst. 

GRAPE  scale. 

This  interesting  and  important  scale  was  found  on  grapes  at 
Vincennes,  Indianapolis,  and  in  Harrison  County.  It  is  by  far 
the  most  important  scale  insect  affecting  the  grape  and  can  not  be 
readily  mistaken  for  any  other  form. 

The  scales,  which  are  similar  to  the  San  Jose  scale,  sometimes 

completely  cover  the  canes,  and  plants  are  often  killed  by  them. 

The  accompanying  cuts  fully  illustrate  the  pest,  and  further 

description  is  not  necessary.     They  can  be  controlled  by  the  use 

of  the  lime  and  sulphur  solution  in  the  winter  time. 

1294.     Chrysomphalus  aonidum   (Linn.). 
circular  scale. 

This  is  a  pest  of  greenhouses  and  is  not  established  in  the  open 
anywhere  in  the  State  to  my  knowledge. 

The  scale  is  dark  in  color  and  is  almost  entirely  circular,  re- 
sembling the  San  Jose  in  this  regard,  but  it  is  much  smoother 
than  the  San  Jose  scale.  The  surface  of  the  scale  is  a  shining 
dark  brown,  although  there  is  some  of  the  concentric  ring  ap- 
pearance which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  San  Jose.  It  is  well 
shown  in  the  accompanying  cuts.  Palms  and  ficus  seem  to  be 
especially  subject  to  its  attack. 


214 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


CRAPE  SCALE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


215 


GRAPE  SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 


216  Fourth  Annual  Report 


CIRCULAR  SCALE.    (Natural  size.  CIRCULAR  SCALE  ON  FICUS. 


Indiana  State  Entomolootst. 


217 


CIRCULAR  SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 


218 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


CIRCULAR  SCALE.     (Enlarged.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


219 


1300.     Chrysomphal'us  dictyosperyni  Morg. 

MORGAN  SCALE. 

This  scale  is  very  similar  to  the  circular  scale  except  that  the 
individuals  are  lighter  in  color  and  are  flatter.  It  is  a  green- 
house pest  of  rather  uncommon  occurrence. 


MORGAN  SCALE. 


220  Fourth  Annual  Repoht 


MORGAN  SCALE.     (Enlarged.) 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


221 


1377.    Lepidosaphes  becki  (Newm.). 

PURPLE  SCALE. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  important  scale  insects  of  the  citrus 
fruit  districts  and  is  often  sent  into  Indiana  on  oranges  and 
lemons.  It  resembles  tlie  common  oyster  shell  scale  that  we  have 
in  Indiana. 


PURPLE  SCALE.    (Enlarged.) 

Sent  into  Indiana  on  citrus  fruits.    This  form  is  not  to  be  feared  as  it  would  not  survive 

our  winters. 


222  Fourth  Annual  Report 

1431.     LepidosapJtes  ulmi  (Linn.). 

OYSTER-SHELL  SCALE. 

This  common  and  destructive  scale  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant pests  with  which  we  have  to  deal  in  this  State.  It  attacks 
many   varieties   of   plants   and    is   especially   injurious   on    apple, 


OYSTER  SHELL  SCALE. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


223 


oyster  shell  scale  on  willow. 


224 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


maple,  poplar  and  willow.    It  is  also  a  very  common  pest  on  lilac 
bushes. 

The  cuts  show  the  scales  so  well  that  an  extended  description 
is  not  needed.    The  scale  winters  in  the  egg  stage  under  the  shell 


OYSTER  SHELL  SCALE.     (Enlarged.) 

of  the  parent  scale.  These  eggs  are  white  in  color  and  oval  in 
shape.  There  will  be  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  under  each  old 
scale.  In  this  way  the  insect  is  doubly  protected  by  being  in  the 
egg  stage  and  by  having  these  eggs  covered  with  the  old  scale. 
The  eggs  hatch  in  spring,  generally  during  the  month  of  May, 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  225 

and  it  is  at  this  time  that  the  young  scales  can  most  easily  be 
controlled.  A  coal  oil  emulsion  can  be  applied  while  the  scales  are 
still  young  and  a  majority  of  them  will  be  killed.     The  only  ob- 


a  soft  scale  on  hickory  that  seems 


jection  to  this  treatment  is  that  the  leaves  are  already  on  the 
trees  and  for  this  reason  thorough  work  can  not  be  done.  The 
full  strength  lime  and  sulphur  applied  during  the  dormant  season 
has  not  given  entire  satisfaction,  but  I  believe  that  if  two  appli- 


[15—28403] 


226  FouETH  Annual  Report 

cations  are  made,  one  in  the  fall  and  one  in  the  spring,  the  in- 
sect will  be  controlled  absolutely.  I  do  not  favor  the  use  of  any 
oil  spray  on  trees,  as  it  is  often  attended  with  injurious  results. 

The  fact  that  the  insect  winters  in  the  egg  stage  makes  it  a 
very  hard  one  to  deal  with  in  the  nursery.  It  can  not  be  killed 
by  the  use  of  hydrocyanic  acid  gas,  and  as  a  result  any  infested 
trees  must  be  destroyed.  The  planter  of  apple  stock  should  be  very 
particular  to  examine  his  tree  to  make  sure  that  this  scale  is  not 
present. 

The  scales  have  ])ut  one  l)rood  each  year  throughout  Indiana. 
It  is  more  often  met  with  in  the  central  and  northern  counties 
than  in  the  south,  although  I  have  found  it  in  almost  every  county 
in  the  State. 

Note  on  a  New  Species. 

In  August,  1911,  I  was  collecting  with  my  assistant,  ]Mr. 
Harold  Morrison,  in  Brown  County,  and  on  shell-bark  hickory 
trees  we  found  what  appears  to  be  a  new  species  of  scale  insect. 

A  few  adult  females  were  found  under  flakes  of  bark.  At  that 
time  they  were  bringing  forth  living  young  in  considerable  num- 
bers. The  young  showed  a  tendency  to  gather  in  clusters,  as 
shown  in  the  accompanying  photograph,  which  was  made  in  the 
laboratory'  a  few  days  later. 

The  adults  were  about  2.5  mm.  in  length.  Antennae  eight 
jointed.  Body  clearly  segmented  pink  or  flesh  color  and  more  or 
less  covered  with  a  white  waxy  secretion. 

Specimens  were  sent  to  Dr.  L.  0.  Howard,  at  Washington,  and 
to  Professor  R.  W.  Uoan  of  Stanford  University,  but  so  far  the 
species  remains  unidentified.  It  may  be  that  additional  material 
will  show  this  to  be  a  distinct  species.  Next  season's  work  will 
be  necessarv  in  order  to  determine  this  point. 


MISCELLANEOUS  INSECT  NOTES. 

Periodical  Cicada. — The  18-year  brood  of  the  Periodical  Cicada 
was  due  to  occur  in  several  counties  in  southern  Indiana  the  past 
season.  After  a  diligent  inquiry,  I  have  been  able  to  find  but  two 
records  of  the  occurrence  of  the  Cicada  this  season.  One  of  these 
records  is  by  Mr.  Charles  C.  Deam,  the  secretary  of  the  State 
Board  of  Forestry,  who  reported  the  insect  near  Goose  Pond,  in 
Posey  County.  The  other  record  is  from  Mr.  "W.  C.  Reed  of  Vin- 
cennes,  who  states  that  the  Cicadas  were  exceedingly  numerous 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  nursery  in  ]\Iay,  but,  while  they  appeared  in 
large  numbers  they  remained  only  a  very  few  days.  A  severe 
storm  of  May  30th  seemed  to  destroy  a  large  portion  of  this 
brood,  and  it  is  reported  that  after  the  storm  practically  no 
Cicadas  were  to  be  found.    No  injury  was  reported  in  either  case. 

Several  other  reports  to  the  effect  that  the  Cicadas  appeared 
in  various  places  were  investigated  and  in  each  case  it  was  found 
that  the  insects  referred  to  were  not  the  thirteenth-  or  seventeenth- 
year  species,  but  the  two-year  Cicada.  This  two-year  form  seems 
to  have  appeared  in  unusual  numbers  in  quite  a  number  of  places 
in  Indiana  during  the  past  season.  The  thirteen-year  brood  is  the 
one  known  to  entomologists  as  brood  23,  and  it  has  been  facetiously 
claimed  by  some  entomologists  that  this  number  which  has  been 
applied  to  it  has  something  to  do  with  the  nonappearance  of  the 
brood  in  many  localities  where  it  was  expected  this  season. 

Strawberry  Leaf  Boilers  (Pacoetia  obsoletana). — This  insect 
was  unusually  prevalent  in  many  localities  this  season.  In  one  or 
two  cases  I  had  to  refuse  to  issue  certificates  to  strawberry  growers 
whose  patches  were  severely  infested  with  this  pest.  There  is  ab- 
solutely no  excuse  for  a  careful  grower  allowing  his  berry  patches 
to  become  badly  infested  with  this  insect.  The  adult  moth  lays 
the  egg  on  the  leaf  of  the  strawberry  and  the  young  caterpillars 
eat  the  surface  and  fold  the  leaves  over  them  for  protective  cov- 
ering. The  cocoons  are  finally  spun  within  these  rolled  leaves. 
Some  patches  that  I  have  seen  had  practically  every  leaf  either 
eaten  or  rolled  with  a  larva  on  the  inside  of  the  rolled  leaf. 

An  early  application  of  any  of  the  common  insecticides,  such 
as  Paris  green  or  arsenate  of  lead,  preferably  arsenate  of  lead. 


228  Fourth  Annual  Report 

would  result  in  the  complete  eradication  of  this  pest,  or  the  excel- 
lent practice  of  burning  over  the  strawberry  patch  after  they  have 
fruited  would  destroy  thousands  of  them  and  hold  the  insect  com- 
pletely in  check.  I  can  see  no  reason  for  the  intelligent  straw- 
berry growers  failing  to  take  tiiese  precautions. 

The  practice  of  burning  the  beds  over  is  an  especially  valuable 
one,  for  it  not  only  controls  this  particular  pest,  but  will  destroy 
many  other  leaf-eating  insects  and  will  do  a  great  deal  in  the  way 
of  coiitruUiug  the  strawberry  leaf  blight  which,  in  some  sections, 
is  in  it&clf  ([uit'e'  a  barrier  to  the  successful  growing  of  this  profit- 
able fruit. 

Tlic  Wheat-Stem  Maggot  (Meromyza  amercana  Fitch). — Dur- 
ing the  iiast  season,  this  pest  of  the  wheat  was  reported  from  sev- 
eral localities  in  the  northrrn  part  of  the  State.  In  some  in- 
stances, the  work  of  this  insect  was  confused  with  the  work  of 
the  more  common  and  more  injurious  insect,  the  Hessian  Fly.  The 
larva  of  the  insect  burrows  in  the  stalk  of  the  grain  and  causes  the 
liead  of  the  grain  to  turn  white  and  they  fail  to  fill  out.  The 
wheat- stem  maggot  is  a  native  insect  and  naturally  occurs  on 
various  species  of  native  grass.  It  has  adopted  the  wheat  sinco 
agriculture  was  introduced  into  America,  and  in  some  seasons  is 
quite  injurious.  Like  nearly  all  of  our  native  insects,  this  pest  is 
controlled  by  parasites  and,  as  a  rule,  does  not  occur  in  injurious 
numbers  two  seasons  in  succession.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  in- 
sect lives  on  native  grass  it  is  more  difficult  to  control  than  the 
Hessian  Fly,  which  can  be  perfectly  controlled  by  trap  crops,  as 
suggested  elsewhere  in  this  report. 

Investigations  in  the  West  indicate,  however,  that  the  wheat 
which  is  planted  in  October  is  less  liable  to  injury  from  this  pest 
than  the  wheat  planted  earlier  in  the  fall.  This  is  in  line  with 
the  same  practice  regarding  the  control  of  the  Hessian  Fly.  The 
following  life  history  of  the  insect  is  taken  from  Professor  Law- 
rence Bruner's  account. 

"The  adult  is  a  small,  greenish  fly,  marked  on  the  thorax  and 
abdomen  with  three  black  stripes.  It  raises  three  broods  a  year, 
passing  the  winter  as  a  larva  in  the  winter  wheat,  transforming 
into  the  pupa  in  the  following  spring  and  immediately  thereafter, 
in  latter  May  and  early  June,  issuing  adults  of  the  first  brood, 
which  may  reattack  the  same  plants  or  spread  to  other  fields  or 
grasses.  The  female  oviposit  upon  the  young  growing  stems  at  the 
edge  of  or  beneath  the  sheath-like  upper  leaves.  The  eggs  are  very 
small,  white,   elongated,  with  pointed  ends,   and  plainly  ridged 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  229 

lengthwise.  The  larvae,  which  soon  hatch  from  them,  are  also 
small  and  slender,  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long  when  fuU 
grown,  with  the  head  end  pointed  and  the  other  obtuse,  in  color 
greenish  white.  They  work  their  way  to  a  point  just  above  the 
upper  joint,  where  they  enter  the  stem,  tearing  the  tissues  with  a 
pair  of  black  hooks  situated  near  the  sucking  mouth,  and  feeding 
upon  the  plant  juices.  The  ravages  of  the  growing  maggot  cause 
the  unfilled  head  and  upper  joint  of  the  wheat  to  die  and  turn 
white,  while  the  rest  of  the  plant  continues  alive  and  green.  These 
larvae  mature  by  the  middle  of  June,  pupate,  and  the  adults  of 
the  second  brood  appear  in  July.  This  brood  is  reared  on  volun- 
teer grain  or  wild  grasses,  and  brings  forth  its  adults  in  September 
and  October.  This  third  brood  attacks  the  winter  wheat  and  re- 
mains therein  until  spring.  The  effect  of  the  larvae  upon  the 
winter  wheat  is  to  cause  the  central  tubular  leaf  of  the  infested 
plant  to  shrivel  and  die,  turning  yellow,  the  larva  being  located 
within  the  stem  just  above  the  root." 

The  Hessian  Fly  (Cecidomyia  destructor  Say). — During  the 
past  season  the  Hessian  Fly  has  been  unusually  destructive  in  the 
wheat  fields  of  certain  portions  of  northern  Indiana.  In  some 
fields  which  I  have  observed  the  extent  of  the  injury  was  so  great 
that  the  grain  was  scarcely  worth  the  cutting.  It  is  probable  that 
the  dry  weather  of  the  early  summer  has  served  to  some  extent 
in  reducing  the  numbers  of  these  insects  and  may  possibly  be  an 
important  factor  in  their  control  for  the  next  year.  In  badly 
infested  districts,  the  farmers  should  adopt  preventive  measures 
against  this  insect.  It  is  one  that  yields  very  readily  to  preventive 
work,  and  unless  some  measures  are  adopted  to  check  its  progress 
it  will  cause  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  damage.  There 
are  three  factors  which  enter  into  the  control  of  the  Hessian  Fly. 

The  first  of  these  consists  in  the  burning  of  the  stubble  fields 
after  the  wheat  harvest,  and  ordinarily  it  is  advisable  to  do  this 
just  as  early  in  the  summer  as  possible.  During  a  dry  season  the 
flies  may  remain  in  the  stubble  for  a  long  period,  but  with  oc- 
casional rains  their  emergence  may  be  hastened  and  they  may 
leave  the  stubble  before  the  burning  has  accomplished  its  purpose. 
Early  burning  is  also  advisable  for  the  control  of  several  other 
injurious  wheat  infesting  insects. 

The  second  factor  in  the  control  of  this  pest  consists  in  plant- 
ing what  we  know  as  trap  crops.  This  simply  consists  of  a  few 
rows  of  wheat  planted  around  the  proposed  wheat  field  late  in  the 
summer.     This  trap  crop  should  be  planted  not  later  than  the 


230  FouKTH  Annual  Report 

last  week  of  August  and  should  be  plowed  under  about  four  of 
five  weeks  later. 

Third  factor  in  the  control  of  the  fly  is  to  see  that  the  wheat 
is  planted  just  as  late  in  the  fall  as  possible.  In  this  way,  the 
insects  are  forced  to  lay  their  eggs  on  volunteer  wheat  and  pos- 
sibly on  other  grasses  and  the  main  crop  will  be  saved.  Some 
farmers  hesitate  to  employ  the  method  of  a  trap  crop,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  their  neighbors  will  not  co-operate  with  them.  They 
fear  that  they  will  have  all  the  labor  and  expense  of  the  work 
and  that  their  neighbors'  infested  fields  will  serve  to  reinfest 
theirs  the  following  spring.  While  there  is  some  room  for  argu- 
ment of  this  question,  it  has  been  demonstrated  beyond  a  doubt 
that  the  farmer  who  applies  the  trap  crop  will  be  far  better  pro- 
tected from  the  Hessian  Fly  than  will  his  neighbor  who  does  noth- 
ing at  all  to  prevent  the  injury.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
Hessian  Fly  will  not  leave  the  parent  field  at  the  spring  of  the 
year  but  will  reinfest  the  wheat  in  the  immediate  vicinity  where 
it  is  hatched.  It  is  true  that  the  insects  are  sometimes  blown  by 
the  wind  for  a  very  considerable  distance  and  in  this  way  they 
may  reinfest  a  field  a  long  ways  from  the  field  in  which  they  were 
originally  hatched.  Like  all  preventive  insect  work,  it  is  well 
for  all  the  farmers  in  one  section  to  work  together  and  co-operate 
in  the  control  of  a  pest  of  this  sort.  A  co-operative  work  in  a  com- 
munity will  be  of  vast  importance  to  the  meral)8rs  of  that  com- 
munity, provided  they  can  all  work  together  in  harmony  and  can 
plan  their  work  to  advantage.  The  following  detailed  life  history 
is  from  Professor  Lawrence  Bruner's  excellent  account  of  the  in- 
sects : 

"The  adult  flies  of  the  fall  brood  begin  to  issue  during  the 
last  days  of  August  or  early  in  September,  and  shortly  after 
emergence  and  subsequent  fertilization,  the  females  fly  to  the 
young  wheat  plants  and  deposit  their  eggs  in  regular  rows  of  one 
to  a  dozen  or  so  along  the  depressions  of  the  veins  on  the  upper 
surface  of  the  wheat  blade,  somewhere  between  the  tip  and  the 
junction  with  the  stem.  These  eggs  are  very  small,  about  one- 
fiftieth  of  an  inch  in  length,  cylindrical,  with  rounded  ends  and 
of  a  glossy  reddish  color.  A  single  female  may  lay  as  many  as  a 
hundred  or  even  two  hundred  or  mere  eggs.  The  adult  flies  are 
very  short  lived,  and  after  the  duties  of  reproduction  are  accom- 
plished they  usually  die  within  a  few  hours,  three  or  four  days 
constituting  the  usual  lease  of  life. 

"In    three    to    five    days,    according    to    condition,    tliese    eggs 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  231 

hatch,  and  the  little  larva,  scarcely  larger  than  the  egg  from  which 
it  has  developed,  migrates  down  the  blade  and  between  the  sheath 
and  the  stem  until  it  reaches  a  point  near  the  root,  at  about  the 
level  of  the  outside  soil.  Here  it  remains  stationary,  gaining  nu- 
trition by  absorption  of  the  plant  juices,  its  mouth  being  too  weak 
for  gnawing,  and  causing  a  gall-like  enlargement  or  swelling  at 
the  point  of  attack.  Growth  proceeds  rapidly,  and  in  about  three 
weeks  the  larva  is  full  sized,  and  may  be  described  as  a  thirteen 
segmented,  semi-transparent,  flattened  ovate  maggot,  measuring 
about  one  by  three  millimeters. 

"It  is  during  this  growing  larval  period  that  the  harm  is  done. 
The  main  stem  being  the  most  developed,  it  is  generally  the  one 
upon  which  the  majority  of  the  eggs  are  deposited,  and  accord- 
ingly, is  usually  the  first  to  show  attack.  The  immediate  effect  is 
often  to  produce  an  abnormally  dark  green  color  which  gives  the 
plants  temporarily  a  very  thrifty  appearance.  This,  however, 
gives  way  to  a  brownish,  then  a  yellowish  color,  and  finally  the 
blade  shrivels  and  dies.  When  sufficient  moisture  is  present  and 
the  plant  is  not  too  badly  infested,  it  sends  out  lateral  tillers 
abundantly,  and  these  often  develop  into  strong  stalks,  thus  mak- 
ing possible  a  partial  crop  if  the  spring  brood  is  successfully  over- 
come. Infested  plants  may  be  recognized  by  their  darker  color, 
more  bunchy  appearance,  lack  of  stem,  shorter,  broader,  and  more 
upright  blades,  and  the  lack  of  the  tubular  young  central  leaf,  this 
failing  to  develop. 

"Once  full  grown,  the  larva  contracts,  leaving  its  outer  skin 
to  form  a  hard  brown  shell  or  puparium,  which  is  commonly  known 
as  the  'flaxseed,'  and  this  stage  is  called  the  'flaxseed  stage.'  It 
is  in  this  stage  that  the  insect  passes  the  winter,  safely  imbedded 
among  the  roots  of  the  wheat,  and  any  condition  which  would  be 
severe  enough  to  destroy  it  would  destroy  the  plant  as  well.  While 
enclosed  within  this  'flaxseed'  or  larval  skin,  the  insect  turns  from 
its  head  downward  position  which  has  been  maintained  since  its 
first  ingress,  to  one  in  which  the  head  is  directed  upward.  In 
accomplishing  this  turning  movement  the  'breast])one'  or  sternal 
spatula,  a  small,  forked  process  on  the  ventral  surface  between 
the  first  and  second  segments,  is  used  to  advantage  by  the  larva. 
It  then  completes  the  transformation  into  the  pupa. 

''The  Spring  Brood.  During  the  winter  the  main  stems  par- 
tially decay  and  are  either  matted  to,  or  in  part  covered  by  earth, 
or  else  entirely  concealed  by  the  fresh  and  uninfested  green  tillers, 
so  that  fields  which  easily  revealed  an  abundance  of  'flaxseed'  in 


232 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


the  preceding  fall,  in  the  spring  show  them  only  after  careful 
search,  hence  it  is  often  supposed  that  the  flies  have  been  in  some 
way  destroyed.  Needless  to  say,  this  condition  is  only  apparent. 
About  the  first  week  in  April  the  flies  begin  to  emerge  in  south- 
eastern Nebraska  and  continue  to  do  so  gradually  more  northward 
and  westward  until  the  whole  of  their  range  is  covered.  They  do 
not  all  emerge  at  once,  but  gradually  increase  in  numbers,  reach- 
ing their  maximmn  about  two  weeks  after  the  date  of  first  emerg- 
ence, and  the  last  ones  do  not  appear  until  the  first  week  of  May 
or  possibly  even  later.  The  males  always  emerge  first  and  greatly 
predominate  in  numbers  for  the  first  day  or  two,  after  which  the 
females  begin  to  appear  in  force. 

"In  emerging,  the  pupa  simply  forces  otf  the  upper  end  of  the 
'flaxseed'  and  makes  its  way  out,  pushing  along  under  the  envelop- 
ing sheath  or  biting  through  it  with  its  hardened  jaws  until  it  is 
exposed.  At  first  its  color  is  pure  white.  Init  later  this  changes 
to  a  pinkish.  Having  found  a  point  of  egress,  the  thin  pupal  skin 
splits  and  the  adult  fly  laboriously  extricates  itself.  As  a  rule  the 
fly  does  not  travel  far  in  the  spring  brood,  but  tends  to  reattask 
the  plants  in  the  same  field  from  which  it  has  emerged." 

The  Cotton  Worm  Moth.  (Alabama  argillacea.)  This  inter- 
esting insect  is  a  pest  of  the  cotton  fields  of  the  South,  and  it  is 
a  rare  occasion  when  it  advances  to  our  colder  Northern  clime. 

During  the   moi:th   of  October  lars^e  numbers  of  these  moths 


COTTON  WORM  MOTHS. 


migrated  north  over  Indiana,  and  at  night  they  were  to  be  found 
around  the  electric  lights  in  almost  any  of  our  cities.  In  Indian- 
apolis they  occurred  in  such  large  numbers  that  the  pavements 
under  the  lights  were  covered  with  their  bodies  every  morning.  I 
found  them  as  far  north  as  Muncie,  where  they  were  fairly  com- 
mon. 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  233 

Many  fruit  growers  reported  that  they  were  to  be  found  in  the 
orchards  feeding  on  over-ripe  peaches  and  other  soft  fruits.  Dur- 
ing the  day  they  rested  in  sheltered  places  and  were  very  common 
in  the  grass  and  among  fallen  leaves. 

The  moth  is  a  peculiar  tawny  color  and  when  at  rest  carries  its 
wings  folded  as  in  the  accompanying  cut. 


t^ 


ADULT  OF  THE  COTTON  WORM. 

Of  course  all  of  the  moths  that  reached  this  far  north  will 
jjerish  in  the  winter  cold  and  none  of  them  will  be  able  to  carry 
the  race  over  to  next  year.  It  is  obvious  that  a  moth  that  appears 
with  us  only  in  the  adult  stage  can  be  of  no  economic  importance, 
as  it  feeds  but  little  and  then  only  on  the  juices  of  broken  and  de- 
caving  fruit. 


BEE  KEEPING. 


This  ancient  form  of  luisl)andry  is  a  source  of  pleasure  antl 
profit  to  thousands  of  people  all  over  Indiana,  and  it  has  been 
my  privilege  to  visit  many  apiaries,  large  and  small.  The  more 
T  see  of  bee  keeping  the  more  enthusiastic  I  become  about  it  and 
the  gladder  I  am  that  I  keep  bees  myself. 


A  SMALL  HOME  APIARY  KEP  I 


-TIXO  PHASE  OF  NATURE  STUDY 


I  started  as  a  beekeeper  by  purchasing  a  few  colonies  in  old 
box  hives,  which  I  transferred  to  new  frame  hives.  Bees  in  box 
hives  can  often  be  bought  for  a  low  price,  and  this  is  often  a  good 
way  for  the  beginner  to  get  a  start.  It  has  the  one  objection  that 
the  amateur  apiarist  is  at  once  confronted  with  one  of  the  most 
serious  problems  of  bee  keeping,  namely,  transferring.  In  a  sense, 
this  is  a  good  thing,  for  it  certainly  affords  an  unequal?d  oppor- 
tunity for  the  bees  and  the  beekeeper  to  become  intimately  ac- 
quainted— a  thing  that  is  of  more  importance  than  may  be  sup- 
posed by  the  novice  Avho  reads  these  pages. 


(23.5) 


236 


FouETH  Annual  Repoet 


Ui%T^^ 


Ix DIANA  State  Enttomologist. 


231 


238  Fourth  Annual  Report 

It  is  a  well-kuowii  fact  that  bees  become  acquainted  with  peo- 
ple that  are  frequently  around  them  and  that  occasionally  handle 
them.  For  this  reason,  some  of  the  old-time  beekeepers  in  nearly 
every  locality  have  earned  the  reputation  of  being  "'bee  men," 
men  who  are  especially  adapted  for  handling-  bees.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  almost  anyone  can  become  a  "bee  man"  if  he  chooses  to 
do  so.  The  principal  thing  required  is  a  certain  amount  of  self- 
confidence  in  handling  the  bees,  and  also  a  certain  amount  of  in- 
difference to  stings.  The  novice  who  starts  to  handle  bees  can  ex- 
pect to  be  stung  frequently,  but  after  one  season's  work  in  the 
apiary  he  will  find  that  the  stings  are  much  less  frequent  than  they 
were  at  first.  Tliis  is  due,  probably,  to  a  certain  ease  with  which 
the  beekeeper  lea  ins  t(^  handle  his  bees  and  to  a  certainty  which 
he  accpiires  in  manipulating  the  hives.  Any  uncertainty  on  the 
part  of  the  operator  is  quickly  noticed  l)y  the  bees  and  they  at 
once  take  advantage  of  it  to  attack  whom  they  regard  as  an  in- 
truder. For  the  benefit  of  the  beginner  who  may  perhaps  buy 
his  bees,  as  I  did  to  start  with,  in  old  box  hives  or  crude  home- 
made hives  of  some  sort,  I  will  give  a  brief  a'^count  of  the  methods 
employed  in  transferring  the  bees  from  such  hives  into  new,  mod- 
ern hives. 

TRANSFERRING. 

The  new  hive  should  be  placed  in  the  exact  position  of  the  old 
hive,  which  has  been  set  aside  for  the  purpose.  Thoroughly  smoke 
the  bees  at  the  entrance  of  the  old  hive,  and  if  it  is  a  box  which 
can  be  opened  without  any  great  difficulty,  the  lid  should  be  pryed 
off  and  the  bees  thoroughly  smoked  from  above.  Give  them  a  few 
minutes  in  which  to  fill  up  with  honey,  as  this  makes  them  very 
much  easier  to  handle. 

In  case  the  old  hive  is  what  is  called  a  box  hive  and  do9s  not 
have  movable  frames  it  will  be  necessary  to  cut  out  the  brood 
combs  and  fit  them  carefully  in  the  frames  in  the  new  hive.  After 
removing  a  single  brood  comb  from  the  old  hive  it  should  be  care- 
fully brushed  to  remove  any  adhering  bees  and  then  should  be  laid 
on  a  soft  pad  of  old  cloth.  In  this  way  the  young  brood  will  not 
be  injured. 

Now  lay  one  of  the  new  frames  from  the  new  hive  down  on 
the  brood  comi)  and  carefuly  cut  the  com!)  so  as  to  fit  the  frame 
just  as  nearly  as  possible.  After  fitting  the  comb  into  the  frame 
a  piece  of  ordinary  cotton  twine  should  be  wrapped  around  the 
frame  so  as  to  hold  the  comb  in  place.    In  case  a  close  fit  has  been 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  239 

made  it  may  not  be  necessary  to  do  this.  The  frame  is  now  ready 
to  be  placed  in  the  new  hive.  Each  coml)  should  be  dealt  with 
in  the  same  manner,  and  in  case  there  are  not  enough  combs  to 
fill  all  of  the  frames  in  the  hive  the  remaining  frames  should  be 
filled  with  whole  sheets  of  foundation  and  be  placed  alongside  of 
the  frames  containing  the  brood  combs. 

In  case  this  work  is  clone  early  in  the  spring  all  of  the  brood 
combs  should  be  placed  in  the  new  hive  close  together,  but  if  it 
is  done  later  in  the  year,  after  the  weather  is  warm,  it  is  a  good 
idea  to  place  the  frames  containing  the  foundation  between  the 
frames  containing  the  brood  combs.  In  this  way  they  will  be  built 
up  quicker  and  a  little  more  uniformly. 

Care  should  be  exercised  to  see  that  the  old  ciueen  is  caught 
and  placed  in  the  new  hive.  In  ease  the  old  hive  is  a  home- 
made box  hive  this  is  not  always  easily  done.  Very  often  the 
queen  will  retire  to  some  secluded  portion  of  the  box  and  hide  in 
a  crack  or  corner  and  be  rather  difficult  to  find.  In  such  a  case 
the  queen  must  be  picked  up  with  the  fingers  and  placed  on  one 
of  the  new  brood  combs. 

There  is  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  best  season  of 
the  year  for  transferring  l)ees.  As  a  rule  tlie  work  should  be  done 
as  early  in  the  season  as  possible,  for  at  that  time  of  the  year 
there  are  fewer  bees  in  the  hive  and  they  more  readily  accept  new 
conditions,  in  addition  to  being  much  more  easily  handled.  Per- 
haps the  best  time  of  year  for  this  work  is  during  the  period  of 
the  fruit  bloom  in  the  spring,  for  at  this  season  the  bees  are  few 
in  numbers  and  are  energetically  at  work  gathering  nectar  from 
the  fiiiit  bloom.  The  fact  that  they  are  getting  something  from 
the  field  Avill  prevent  robbing,  which  would  undoubtedly  occur  if 
the  transferring  was  attempted  during  a  season  when  there  was 
no  honey  flow  of  any  sort. 

In  case  it  is  necessary  to  transfer  the  bees  during  a  season  of 
no  honey  flow  it  will  be  well  to  carry  on  the  work  under  some 
sort  of  screen  or  shelter.  A  tent  is  manufactured  from  mosquito 
netting  that  is  very  convenient  for  this  work  and  it  costs  but  little. 
A  homemade  tent  would,  of  course,  answer  fully  as  well. 

All  fragments  of  old  comb  should  be  gathered  up  and  rendered 
into  wax  immediately.  No  rubbish  of  this  sort  should  l)e  pennit- 
ted  to  remain  around  the  beeyard.  as  it  will  very  often  lead  to 
the  bees  contracting  the  robbing  habit,  and  as  a  result  the  bees 
will  be  cross  throughout  the  season.  The  old  hives  can  often  be 
used  advantageously  as  hive  stands  for  the  new  hives;  though,  if 


240 


FouKTH  Annual  Report 


they  are  in  a  very  badly  dilapidated  condition,  probably  the  best 
disposition  which  can  be  made  of  them  is  to  use  them  for  kindling 
wood  or  burn  them  on  the  spot. 

Somestimes  it  is  possible  to  buy  bees  in  old  hives  that  contain 
standard  frames.  In  such  eases  it  is  only  necessary  to  lift  the 
frames  out  of  the  old  boxes  and  place  them  in  the  new  hive  bodies. 
In  this  way  all  cutting  of  frames  and  any  loss  of  brood  or  honey 


is  avoided.  The  entire  operation  is  rendered  very  much  simpler 
and  the  bees  are  not  disturbed  any  more  than  they  would  be  in  a 
casual  examination  of  the  brood  chamber  later  in  the  season. 

The  same  precautions,  however,  are  to  be  used  in  securing  the 
queen,  because  the  queen  in  a  colony  that  is  not  accustomed  to  be- 
ing examined  is  often  very  shy  and  inclined  to  hide  at  the  first 
disturbance. 


STARTING  A  NEW  APIARY. 

After  having  successfully  kept  a  few  colonies  of  bees  I  decided 
to  branch  out  as  a  more  extensive  apiculturist.  I  studied  the  ad- 
vertisements in  the  bee-keeping  journals  and  in  the  local  papers 
and  learned  of  a  number  of  apiaries  that  were  for  sale  at  various 


Indiana  State  Entomologist.  241 

prices.  I  finally  located  three  beeyards  of  various  sizes— one  lo- 
cated at  Terre  Haute,  Ind. ;  another  at  Ben  Davis,  and  a  third  near 
Riverside  Park,  northwest  of  Indianapolis. 

All  of  the  bees  in  these  beeyards  were  examined  and  found  to 
be  in  an  apparently  healthy  condition  and  were  purchased  at  prices 
ranging  from  $2  per  colony  for  the  Terre  Haute  bees  to  $4  per 
colony  for  the  bees  at  Riverside  Park.     The  difference  in  price 


ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  THE  NEGLECTED  APIARV. 
This  kind  of  bee  keeping  represents  a  loss. 

was  due  partly  to  the  fact  that  the  Terre  Haute  bees  were  of 
much  poorer  quality,  the  hives  were  all  very  old  and  dilapidated, 
and  they  also  had  to  be  transported  farther  than  any  of  the  others. 

I  found  that  the  first  problem  that  I  had  to  meet  was  one  of 
transportation,  but  I  finally  overcame  this  difficulty  by  chartering 
an  interurban  car  to  bring  the  bees  from  Terre  Haute  to  Broad 
Ripple,  having  determined  to  locate  the  apiary  about  a  mile  north 
of  Broad  Ripple. 

On  a  cold,  raw  day,  early  in  April,  I  took  an  assistant  and 
went  to  Terre  Haute  to  prepare  the  bees  at  that  place  for  ship- 
ment. Nearly  all  of  the  hives  were  in  a  badly  dilapidated  condi- 
tion, very  old  and  very  rotten.  In  many  cases  the  botton  boards 
had  completely  rotted  off  and  some  of  the  hives  were  resting  di- 

[16—28403] 


242  Fot'RTTi  AxxuAL  Report 

rectly  on  the  yround.  In  othors  the  covers  were  entirely  gone 
and  the  hees  were  prote.'ted  only  l)y  scraps  of  wood  and  sheet- 
iron  that  had  been  laid  loosely  on  top  of  the  colonies.  The  sur- 
prise to  me  was  that  bees  could  exist  in  such  dilapidated  hives,  but 
they  were  unquestionably  in  good  physical  condition  at  the  time 
that  they  were  bought.  Owing  to  the  character  of  the  hives  it 
was  necessary  to  enclose  the  entire  bottom  with  screen  in  most 
cases.  Some  of  the  hives  were  so  badly  rotted  that  it  was  necessary 
to  nail  screen  over  the  top  as  well  as  the  bottom,  making  both 
the  top  and  bottom  of  open  screen.  There  were  forty-one  colonies 
of  bees  in  this  lot  and  it  is  hard  to  realize  the  magnitude  of  our 
undertaking  in  preparing  these  colonies  for  shipment.  I  would 
never  buy  another  lot  of  bees  that  were  in  such  bad  condition  as 
was  this  particular  apiary.  The  work  which  we  had  to  do  on  the 
beehives  and  the  difficulty  Avhicli  we  had  in  transporting  them  fully 
made  up  for  the  small  saving  in  the  price  of  the  bees. 

I  think  I  should  say  something  about  the  manner  in  which  these 
old  hives  were  closed  with  screen.  In  the  first  place  a  sheet  of 
wire  screen  cloth  was  cut  just  big  enough  to  lay  over  the  top  of 
the  hive  and  to  fold  down  nicely  on  all  sides,  leaving  a  nuirgin 
of  about  an  inch.  This  was  placed  over  the  hive  after  the  cover 
was  removed  or  after  the  bottom  part  was  removed,  as  the  case 
might  be,  and  was  then  secured  to  the  hive  by  strips  of  lath 
nailed  at  the  sides.  The  corners  had  to  be  neatly  and  closely 
folded  in  order  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  the  bees  getting  out 
at  the  corner  folds.  In  this  particular  instance  the  work  was  done 
during  a  rather  cold  afternoon  and  the  bees  did  not  cause  us  very- 
much  trouble.  They  were  not  flying  when  we  started  to  work 
about  3  o'clock  and  made  but  few  attempts  to  fly  during  the  after- 
noon. We  had  no  difficulty  whatever  in  controlling  them  with 
the  use  of  smoke,  which  we  applied  liberally. 

We  engaged  a  farmer  living  in  the  neighborhood  to  haul  the 
bees  from  the  apiary  to  the  traction  station  and  directei  him  to 
be  at  the  apiaiy  to  move  the  bees  at  6  o'clock.  He  arrived 
promptly,  but  we  were  forced  to  disappoint  him,  as  our  work  was 
but  little  more  than  half  done  at  that  time.  We  were  compelled 
to  work  exceedingly  fast  in  order  to  complete  the  work,  and  finally 
closed  the  last  colony  at  8  o'ch)ck.  At  that  time  we  cease  1  work, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  supply  of  screen  wire  had  run  out,  and 
we  were  compelled  to  leave  three  colonies  of  bees  at  the  old  apiary, 
making  in  all  thirty-seven  colonies  that  we  brought  on  to  Indian- 
apclis.     The  three  colonies  that  were  left  were  afterwards  traded 


Indiana  State  Entomoloois'i 


248 


to  the  ni;iii  who  hauled  the  bees,  in  exehange  for  liis  hil)or  m  do- 
ing- so.  He  had  ah'eady  agreed  to  haul  the  bees  for  $1.50,  l)ui 
we  had  kept  him  waiting  so  long  and  he  was  so  patient  that  I  did 
not  regret  letting  him  have  the  bees,  although  thy  represented  a 
much  larger  money  valu-  tlu.n  he  had  asked  for  his  work  in  haul- 
ing them.  If  I  had  not  let  him  have  them  they  would  have  been 
a  clear  less,  a.s  we  eould  not  take  them  along.  It  would  not  have 
paid  to  have  gone  l)ack  after  them  on  a  ser-ond  ti-ij). 


BEES  ox  BOARD  CARS. 


We  finally  got  the  bees  to  the  traction  freight  house  about  lU 
o'clock  at  night.  This  was,  of  course,  after  hours  for  receiving 
freight,  but  I  had  previously  made  arrangements  with  the  man- 
ager of  the  freight  house  so  that  we  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  tha 
bees  into  the  freight  shed,  where  they  were  left  for  the  night. 

Early  the  next  morning  my  assistant  went  on  to  Ben  Davis, 
where  w-e  had  purchased  twenty  more  colonies  of  bees.  These  bees 
v/ere  in  far  better  condition  and  in  better  hives,  so  that  it  was  not 
such  a  big  job  to  prepare  them  for  shipment.  I  stayed  at  Terre 
Haute  and  loaded  the  special  car  at  7  o'clock  the  next  morning 
and  accompanied  the  car  on  to  Ben  Davis,  where  we  picked  up 
the  twenty  colonies  of  bees  that  had  been  prepared  for  shipment 
that  morning.      In  shipping  the  bees   in  the  interurban   car   we 


244 


Fourth  Annual  REroRT 


avoided  all  necessity  for  bracing  the  hives  in  the  car,  as  there  was 
no  bumping  or  jolting  such  as  the  bees  would  get  on  a  steam  road. 
While  I  have  never  shipped  any  bees  on  steam  cars,  I  understand 
that  it  is  necessary  to  brace  the  hives  so  that  there  will  be  no 
shifting  of  the  cargo  when  the  cars  are  bimiped  in  switching.  The 
only  precaution  Avhich  we  used  in  loading  the  cars  at  Terre  Haute 
and  Ben  Davis  was  to  see  that  the  hives  were  placed  in  the  car 
with  the  brood  frames  running  the  same  way  as  the  car.  I  doubt 
very  much  whether  this  precaution  was  necessary  in  this  case,  as 
the  ear  came  through  so  smoothly  and  with  so  little  jolting  that  no 
possible  injury  could  have  occurred  to  the  combs  even  if  they  had 
Veen  swpng  ero^swiso  of  the  c^r. 


UNLOADING  BKK6  FROM  (AH 


i\lost  railroad  companies  require  that  in  shipping  bees  an  at- 
tendant nuist  accompany  the  shipment.  This  is  a  wise  precau- 
tion and  I  believe  should  be  required  of  all  beekeepers  who  ship 
stock  any  distance.  Even  with  the  care  which  we  used  at  Terre 
Haute  we  found  that  one  or  two  colonies  developed  a  leak  during 
the  morning  and  these  leaks  had  to  be  stopped  immediately.  This 
was  very  readily  accomplished  by  the  use  of  a  little  cotton  which 
was  carried  for  the  purpose  and  which  was  simply  crowded  into 
the  crack  through  which  the  bees  had  found  egress. 

I  observed  one  rather  interesting  point  while  riding  Avith  the 
bees  from  Terre  Haute  to  Ben  Davis.  When  the  few  bees  escaped 
in  the  leak  mentioned  above  I  watched  their  behavior  in  the  ear 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


245 


246  Fourth  Annual  Report 

and  WJ3S  surprised  to  find  that  they  had  no  difficulty  in  tiyiug  out 
of  the  car  door  and  flying  right  ahead  of  the  car.  This  was  at  a 
time  when  the  car  was  going  probably  from  thirty-five  to  forty 
miles  per  hour.  This  shows  that  the  flight  of  the  bee  must  consid- 
erabl.y  exceed  the  speed  of  the  average  train.  We  had  no  further 
difficulties  with  the  bees  and  unloaded  them  uneventfully  at  the 
station  at  Broad  Ripple.  From  there  they  were  hauled  to  a  farm 
Jibout  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  station  at  that  town.  We 
placed  them  roughly  in  rows  in  the  northwest  corner  of  an  apple 
and  pear  orchard  and  at  once  opened  the  entrance  of  the  hives 
so  that  the  bees  could  fly  out.  This  was  about  5  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  the  bees  had  been  confined  for  about  twenty-four 
hours.  They  were  not  particularly  cross,  however,  and  we  had  no 
difficulty  in  opening  the  colonies. 

By  some  oversight  one  of  the  colonies  was  not  opened  on  the 
first  evening,  and  by  the  same  oversight  it  was  neglected  for  more 
than  a  week,  when  I  chanced  to  see  that  there  were  no  bees  flying 
out  of  that  particular  hive.  The  hive  was  an  old  box  affair  with 
the  entrance  located  on  the  under  side  in  a  place  that  very  readily 
escaped  ordinary  attention.  I  expected  to  find  that  the  bees  in 
this  colony  were  in  bad  shape,  if  not  dead,  but  to  my  very  great 
surprise  they  behaved  nicely  when  I  opened  the  entrance.  They 
were  not  cross,  and  very  few  of  them  were  dead.  It  woidd  be  in- 
teresting to  know  just  how  long  a  colony  of  bees  could  be  closed 
.up  without  suffering  some  definite  injury. 

Twenty  more  colonies  of  bees  were  purchased  at  a  point  near 
Riverside  Park  and  were  transferred  to  the  location  of  the  apiary 
in  a  large  farm  wagon.  These  bees  were  in  better  hives  than  those 
bought  at  Ben  Davis  or  Terre  Haute  and  we  paid  more  for  them. 
They  cost  on  an  average  of  $4  per  colony.  Some  of  the  colonies 
were  in  hives  sufficiently  good  that  they  did  not  need  to  be  trans- 
ferred. IMost  of  them,  however,  were  transferred  to  new  hives. 
These  made  a  total  of  seventy-seven  colonies  located  at  the  new 
apiary.  All  of  these  bees  had  to  be  transferred  into  new  hives  in 
preparation  for  the  coming  season.  Practically  all  of  the  colonies, 
except  a  few  bought  at  Terre  Haute,  were  in  hives  containing 
standard  size  brood  frames,  so  that  the  work  of  transferring  con- 
sisted merely  in  lifting  the  frames  out  of  the  old  boxes  and  plac- 
ing them  in  the  new  hive  bodies.  In  a  few  cases  the  colonies 
brought  from  Terre  Haute  were  in  old  box  hives  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  demolish  the  hives  and  cut  the  brood  combs  to  fit  the  new 
frames,  and  this  made  considerable  more  w^orlc.     For  this  reason 


Indiana  State  ENTo^[OLOGls•l 


i47 


I  would  never  aofain  ]my  any  considera])l(!  (|iiaiitit.y  of  bees  in  l)ox 
liives.  It  is  also  diffieult  to  determine  the  condition  of  tlie  bees 
unless  they  are  on  standard  frames. 

Practically  all  these  bees,  especially  those  l)rouglit  from  Terre 
Haute,  were  well  supplied  with  stores  and  had  gone  through  the 
vv'inter  in  splendid  shape.  They  were  all  raising  brood  at  the  time 
that  they  were  purchased  and  the  honey  flow  from  the  fruit  bloom 
was  unusually  large.     The  indications  were  for  a  splendid  season 


PLANT  LICE,  THE  SOURCE  OF  HONEY  DEW. 

and  the  bees  were  encouraged  to  build  up  as  strong  colonies  as 
possible.  It  so  happened,  however,  that  the  weather  was  unfavor- 
able for  the  beekeepers  during  this  past  season,  and  our  entire 
prospects  were  blasted  by  the  extreme  hot  weather  which  started 
at  the  beginning  of  the  honey  flow  on  the  white  clover.  I  never 
knew  the  bees  to  he  in  such  strong  condition  as  they  were  at  the 
beginning  of  the  clover  flow  this  year,  but  they  practically  had 
nothing  to  work  on. 

For  the  encouragement  of  the  beginner  in  bee-keeping  I  ^^nsh 
that  I  might  tell  of  having  harvested  a  record  crop  from  these 


248  Fourth  Annual  Report 

bees  that  were  purchased  in  old,  dilapidatel  hives  and  transferred 
to  new  workable  hives.  Unfortunately,  however,  I  cannot  make 
any  such  record  and  tell  the  truth.  And  as  a  document  of  this 
sort  should  be  primarily  truthful,  I  must  simply  say  that  the 
honey  crop  for  the  season  was  almost  a  total  failure.  At  the  end 
of  the  honey  flow  I  had  to  my  credit  barely  one  pound  of  surplus 
honey  per  colony;  some  colonies  having  yielded  as  high  as  fifteen 
pounds  and  many  others  yielded  nothing  at  all.  In  a  favorable 
season  an  apiary  of  this  size  could  very  readily  be  managed  so  as 
to  yield  an  average  of  100  pounds  per  colony.  The  experienced 
beekeeper  will  realize  what  an  exceedingly  poor  season  we  had 
when  I  say  that  the  bees  made  practically  no  effort  to  swarn  and 
that  the  only  swarms  which  issued  were  two  that  escaped  during 
the  fruit  bloom.  After  these  two  early  swarms  there  were  no  more 
attempts  at  swarming  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  colonies  in  the 
apiary.  This,  of  course,  reduced  the  work  of  looking  after  the 
apiaiy  to  a  very  material  extent.  This  is  a  brief  record  of  the 
starting  of  what  I  intended  to  be  an  experimental  apiary.  The 
first  year's  work  has  been  a  failure  through  no  fault  of  the  op- 
erator, and  while  not  a  great  deal  has  been  learned  the  season  has 
been  rich  in  experience. 

One  of  the  interesting  things  observed  early  in  the  sea.s(m  was 
that  honey  dew  is  not  necessarily  of  dark  color.  There  was  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  very  light  honey  dew  stored  early  in  the  sea- 
son and  it  very  closely  resembled  the  honey  produced  from  the 
Vi'hite  clover.  Honey  dew,  it  should  be  understood,  is  not  strictly 
a  bee  product,  but  is  gathered  by  the  bees  and  stored  by  them.  It 
is,  in  fact,  a  secretion  from  the  plant  lice  and  it  is  not  salable 
as  honey  under  the  pure  food  law.  It  must  be  labeled  as  honey 
tlew  and  sold  as  such.  Under  the  law  honey  is  defined  as  being  a 
product  made  by  the  bees  from  the  nectar  of  flowers,  and  the  pure 
food  chemists  are  enabled  by  their  scientific  instruments  to  deter- 
mine whether  a  sample  of  honey  contains  honey  dew  or  whether 
or  not  it  contains  such  substances  as  cane  sugar  or  glucose. 

The  wise  beekeeper,  however,  does  not  attempt  to  adulterate  his 
product  with  any  of  these  preparations  for  several  reasons.  In 
the  first  place  they  are  not  honey  and  his  product  would  not  gain 
the  same  reputation  that  it  would  if  marketed  as  a  strictly  pure 
preparation.  In  the  second  place  it  doas  not  pay  from  the  money 
standpoint  to  adulterate  honey.  This,  I  believe,  has  been  demon- 
strated repeatedly  by  other  writers,  so  that  I  need  not  go  into  the 
actual  figures  in  the  matter.    In  the  third  place  there  is  too  great 


Ik  DIANA  State  Entomologist. 


249 


a  certainty  of  prosecution  after  the  detection  is  made  by  the  health 
authorities.  The  Avise  beekeeper  will  stick  to  the  pure  product 
and  will  endeavor  to  build  up  a  reputation  for  selling  only  strictly 
pure  and  honest  goods,  and  will,  in  the  long  run,  increase  his  mar- 
ket and  ultimately  increase  the  price  which  he  receives  for  his 
goods. 

During  the  season  I  had  an  opportunity  to  visit  a  number  of 
very  interesting  apiaries  in  different  parts  of  the  State.     One  of 


*    — 


■%#^F^''^5 


the  most  intersting  of  these  is  the  apiary  of  F.  B.  Cavanaugh  at 
Hebron,  Ind.  Mr.  Cavanaugh  has  about  six  hundred  colonies  of 
bees  and  he  operates  his  apiaiy  not  only  for  extracted  honey,  but 
for  comb  honey  as  well.  He  has  an  almost  ideal  plant,  and  has 
probably  the  largest  apiary  in  the  State.  Mr.  Cavanaugh  is  thor- 
oughly modern  in  his  ideas  and  employs  a  power  machine  for  ex- 
tracting his  honey  and  also  uses  a  large  automobile  in  going  from 
one  apiary  to  another.  He  has  several  outyards  which  he  oper- 
ates in  this  way.  He  also  has  a  convenient  truck  which  he  can  at- 
tach on  the  back  of  his  automobile,  and  in  that  way  can  haul  large 
loads  of  honey  or  bees  in  a  very  short  time. 

Another  very  interesting  little  apiary  which  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  visiting  was  owned  by  Mr.  Mason  J.  Niblack  of  Vincennes,  Ind. 


250 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


]\Ir.  Niblaek's  apiary  is  located  in  a  beautiful  and  somewhat  ro- 
mantic spot  southwest  of  the  city.  As  will  be  seen  from  the  ac- 
companying illustration,  Mr.  Niblack  has  only  a  small  number  of 
colonies,  which  he  operates  because  of  the  pleasure  he  derives  from 
handling"  the  bees.  He  prefers  the  ten-frame  hive  and  operates 
his  apiary  for  comb  honey  exclusively.  The  spirit  of  commercial- 
ism does  not  enter  into  Mr.  Niblaek's  work.     As  he  says,  he  keep^ 


MAKESHIFT  HIVES. 

The  owner  used  what  he  liad  at  hand  at  swarming  time.     Good  hives  should  be  ordered  in 

advance  and  then  the  beekeeper  will  not  have  to  transfer  the  bees  from 

there  crude  hives. 


the  hee-i  lieeause  he  likes  to  eat  the  honey,  and  this  is  tlie  motive 
that  prompts  a  great  many  beekeepers  over  the  State  of  Indiana 
to  run  tlie  risk  of  stings  in  order  to  secure  their  choice  sweet. 
Mr.  Niblack,  however,  is  thoroughly  scientific  in  his  work  and  gets 
a  great  deal  of  pleasure  out  of  handling  his  bees. 

I  saw  another  interesting  little  apiary,  of  which  I  will  include 
a  photograph,  showing  a  very  unique  sort  of  homemade  hive.  The 
hives,  however,  can  scarcely  he  called  homemade,  as  they  were 
bought  already  made,  being  simply  disused  nail  kegs,  and  the 
supers  consist  of  an  empty  candy  pail  turned  over  the  nail  keg. 
To  my  very  great  surprise,  the  bees  in  these  makeshift  hives  were 
in  a  healthy  condition  and  had  actually  stored  some  surplus  honey. 
The  owner  realized  that  the  hives  were  not  the  best  thing  for  his 
bees  and  has  already  prepared  to  transfer  them  to  good  new  hives. 


Indiana  State  ENTOMOLOfUST. 


251 


252 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


253 


<    _o 


iSiSaiSttSSSSl 


254 


FouKTH  Annual  Report 


Indiana  Siate  Entomologist.  255 

THE  TREATMENT  OF  FOUL  BROOD  DISEASES  OF  BEES. 

In  my  second  annual  report,  Mr.  George  S.  Denuith  gave  a 
very  excellent  account  of  the  treatment  of  foul  brood.  This  report 
is  now  out  of  print,  hut  the  demand  for  the  information  not  only 
continues  ])ut  increases  with  each  succeeding  season.  Accordingly, 
T  will  include  in  this  report  the  following  brief  account  of  a  sim- 
plified method  of  handling  foul  brood. 

At  the  time  of  the  publication  of  the  second  annual  report  the 
recognized  treatment  of  foul  brood  consisted  of  what  was  called 
the  double-shaicing  treatment;  that  is,  the  bees  were  shaken  from 
the  diseased  combs  into  clean,  new  hives  and  were  allowed  to  build 
comb  for  four  days  and  were  then  shaken  the  second  time  into 
hives  containing  full  sheets  of  foundation.  This  second  shakin;^ 
is  now  done  away  with.  The  diseased  colony  is  set  aside  and  a 
clean,  new  hive  is  set  in  its  place.  This  new  hive  must  have  the 
frames  fitted  with  one  inch  strips  of  foundation ;  never  with  full 
sheets.  The  frames  from  the  diseased  colony  should  be  removed 
one  at  a  time  and  should  be  carefully  examined  as  they  are  re- 
moved, to  find  the  queen.  The  queen  should  be  handled  carefully 
and  should  not  be  brushed  off  in  the  rough  fashion  in  which  the 
worker  bees  are  handled.  I  believe  that  it  is  better  practice  to 
brush  the  bees  off  the  combs  than  it  is  to  shake  them.  Very  often 
in  shaking  the  bees  off,  some  drops  of  honey  will  be  shaken  off 
wdth  them,  and  it  is  desired  that  they  carry  into  their  new  hive 
just  as  little  of  their  old  honey  as  possible.  A  very  good  bru^h 
for  this  purpose  is  made  from  some  stiff  grass,  simply  gathered 
into  a  small  bunch  and  afterwards  burned.  It  is  almost  impossible 
to  disinfect  a  bee  brush  satisfactorily,  so  that  a  makesliift  brush 
consisting  of  a  bunch  of  grass  is  far  more  satisfactory.  The  combs 
should  be  taken  out  and  tiie  bees  bi-ushed  from  them  into  the  new 
hive,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  cleared  of  bees  they  shovild  be  placed 
in  a  tub  or  other  receptacle  containing  water,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  bees  gathering  on  the  combs  and  taking  back  any  of  the  old 
honey.  Tliis  placing  of  the  brushed  combs  in  the  water  will  also 
prevent  bees  from  neighboring  colonies  robbing  out  any  of  the  dis- 
ease-infested honey.  It  is  well,  also,  to  do  this  work  late  in  the 
evening,  so  that  the  bees  from  other  colonies  will  be  flying  just 
as  little  as  possible.  After  the  l)ees  have  been  brushed  into  the 
new  hive  it  ^^^ll  be  advisable  to  place  a  queen-excluding  zinc  over 
the  front  of  the  hive  in  order  to  prevent  the  queen  from  coming 
out  AA-ith  the  swarm.     In  some  cases  the  bees  will  attempt  to  swarm 


256 


Fourth  Annual  Report 


Indiana  State  Entomologist. 


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[17—28403] 


258  FouKTH  Annual  Report 

out  if  this  is  not  done,  although  many  eases  have  been  treated  with- 
out the  use  of  any  queen  guard  placed  at  the  entrance.  The  object 
in  shaking  the  bees  from  the  old  combs  is  to  remove  from  the 
colony  all  possible  sources  of  infection. 

The  American  foul  brood  is  known  to  Ije  a  bacterial  disease, 
and  it  is  supposed  that  European  foul  brood  is  of  a  similar  nature, 
although  this  is  not  generally  known  as  yet.  These,  in  each  case, 
attack  only  the  brood;  that  is,  the  Irava  of  the  bee,  and  never  the 
adult  bee.  The  following  extract  regarding  the  nature  of  the  bee 
diseases  is  taken  from  Dr.  Phillips '  Farmers '  Bulletin  No.  442 : 

"There  are  two  recognized  infectious  diseases  of  the  brood  of 
bees,  now  known  as  American  foul  brood  and  European  foul  brood. 
Both  diseases  weaken  colonies  by  reducing  the  number  of  emerg- 
ing bees  needed  to  replace  the  old  adult  bees  which  die  from  nat- 
ural or  other  causes.  In  neither  case  are  adult  bees  affected,  so  far 
as  known.  The  means  used  by  the  beekeeper  in  deciding  which  dis- 
ease is  present  is  the  difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  larvae 
dead  of  the  two  diseases.  That  the  diseases  are  entirely  distinct 
cannot  now  be  doubted,  since  they  show  certain  differences  in  the 
age  of  the  larvae  affected,  in  their  response  to  treatment,  and  in 
the  appearance  of  the  dead  larvae.  This  is  made  still  more  cer- 
tain by  a  study  of  the  bacteria  present  in  the  dead  larvae.  Re- 
ports are  sometimes  received  that  a  colony  is  infected  with  both 
diseases  at  the  same  time.  While  this  is  possible,  it  is  not  by  any 
means  the  rule,  and  such  cases  are  usually  not  authentically  re- 
ported. There  is  no  videnee  that  chilled  or  starved  brood  develops 
into  an  infectious  disease  or  that  dead  brood  favors  the  develop- 
ment of  a  disease. 

Names  of  the  Diseases. 

"The  names,  American  foul  brood  and  European  foul  brood, 
were  applied  to  these  diseases  by  the  Bureau  of  Entomology  of 
this  department  to  clear  up  the  confusion  in  names  which  for- 
merly existed.  By  retaining  the  words  'foul  brood'  in  each  name 
the  disease^inspeetion  laws  then  in  force  could  be  interpreted  as 
applying  to  both  diseases.  These  names  were  in  no  way  intended 
to  designate  geographical  distribution,  since  both  diseases  did  exist 
and  do  now  exist  in  both  Europe  and  America,  but  were  chosen 
primarily  because  they  were  convenient  and  easily  remembered 
names.  Their  only  significance  is  in  indicating  where  the  diseases 
were  first  seriously  investigated.     It  was  particularly  desirable  to 


Indiana  State  Entomologist, 


259 


260 


FouBTH  Annual  Repoet 


Indiana  State  Entomologist, 


261 


change  the  name  of  the  disease  now  laiown  as  European  foul  brood, 
since  'black  brood'  entirely  fails  to  be  descriptive  and  is  mislead- 


A  condition  known  as  pickled  brood  sometimes  exists  in  the 
apiary  and  very  frequently  leads  the  beekeeper  to  suppose  that  his 
bees  are  affected  with  some  form  of  foul  brood.  This  disease  is 
not  supposed  to  be  contagious  and  the  exact  cause  of  it  is  not 
known  at  this  time.  One  of  the  most  characteristic  features  of  the 
brood  that  dies  under  the  condition  known  as  pickled  brood  is  that 
the  head  end  of  the  larva  always  turns  up,  producing  what  is 
termed  the  "Chinaman's  shoe"  condition. 

The  following  table  of  comparative  symptoms  will  enable  the 
beekeeper  to  determine  something  of  the  difference  in  bee  diseases 
which  may  be  present  in  his  particular  apiary : 


AMERICAN  FOUL  BROOD. 

EUROPEAN  FOUL  BROOD. 

PICKLED  BROOD. 

Color  at  first,  light  cho  olatc. 

Color  at  first,  yellow. 

Color  at  first,  light  yellow. 

Darkens  with  aao  until 
dark  brown. 

Darkens  with  aee  until 
almost  black. 

Darkens  to  brownish  color. 

Dead   larvae   become  shapi^less 
mass  on  lower  side  of  cell. 

Dead  larvae  ma.-.-  become  shapeless 
mass  but  very  youn?  larvae  may 
remain  coiled  in  the  bottom  of 
the  cell. 

Dead    larvae    usually    retain 
shape,  though  swollen. 

Attacks    larvae    about    time    of 
capping  or  soon  after. 

.•\ttacks  larvae  before  time  of  cap- 
ping (usually.) 

.Attacks  larvae  about  time  of 
capping 

Combs  show  sunken  and  perfo- 
rated cappinss;   discolored. 

Very  seldom  show  sunken  and  per- 
forated cappings. 

Cappings  may  be  perforated 
but  not  discolored. 

Dead  material  is  ropy.     Larvte 

dies  down  to  tightly  adhering 

scale. 

Ropiness  almost  or  entirely  want- 
ing.    Dried    larvae    form    scales 
not  tightly  adhering  to  cell. 

Never    ropy    but    is    watery. 
Usually  removed. 

Odor    is   foul,    noticeable   even 
when  a  few  cells  are  diseased. 

Odor  not  noticeable  except  in  most 
advanced    stages    when    it    re- 
.sembles  odor  of  .\merican  Foul 
Brood. 

Very  si  ght  odor. 

Seldom  attacks  drone  or  queen 
larvae. 

DLsease  attacks  drone  and  queen 
larvae  among  the  first. 

Spreads  slowly. 

Spreads  rap  dly. 

Supposed  not  to  be  contagious 

INSPECTION  WORK. 

Bee  inspection  work  was  started  in  March  of  the  present  sea- 
son and  continued  until  October.  A  total  of  twenty  counties  was 
examined,  with  a  total  of  2.076  colonies  inspected.  Out  of  these 
colonies,  183  were  found  to  be  diseased  with  American  foul  brood. 
199  with  European  foul  brood  and  twenty-three  with  pickled  l)rood. 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Ailanthus  81 

Apiary,  Starting   240 

Ash    84 

Bagworm  Moth   114 

Bee  Inspection     261 

Bee  Keeping  235 

Blacli  Scale   183 

Blight,  Peach   57 

Borer,  Elm   108 

Borer,  Flat  Head  Ill 

Borer,  Hickory    112 

Borer,  Lesser  Peach    45 

Borer,  Locust  Ill 

Borer,  Peach    41 

Burgess  Cling,  see  Hoosier  Cling 6 

Catalpa    85 

Catalpa    Sphinx    124 

Cavanaugh  F  B 249 

Champion , 37 

Cherry  Scale    201 

Chestnut 86 

Cicada,  Periodical    227  * 

Circular  Scale  213 

Cockerell's  Lecanium  171 

Coffee  Tree 88 

Cotton  Worm  Moth   232 

Cottony  Grape  Scale   166 

Cottony  Leaf  Scale  of  Maple  160 

Cottony  Maple  Scale  161 

Crawford's  Early    38 

Crawford's  Late   38 

Crown  Gall  59 

Demonstration  Orchards 7 

Elberta    3S 

Elm  '    SS 

Elm  Borer    - 108 

Elm  Leaf  Beetle  131 

Elm  Scale   185 

Engle's  Mammoth    39 

English  Walnut  Scale  204 

Engraver  Beetle  127 


2(i4  FoiKTH  Annual  Report 

PAGE 

Fall  Web  Worm   120 

Foul  Brood 255 

Fruit  Tree  Bark  Beetle : 45 

Giuko   S9 

Grape  Scale   213 

Grapta    140 

HacUberry    90 

Heath  Cling   39 

Hemispherical   Scale    182 

Hessian  Fly    229 

Hickory    89 

Hickory  Borer 112 

Hickory     Lecanium    170 

Honey  Dew 248 

Hoosier   Cling    39 

Hopkins  Favorite   40 

Horse  Chestnut  89 

Insects  Injurious  to  the  Peach  41 

Insects  Injurious  to  Shade  Trees 67 

Introduction   5 

June  Beetle 140 

Kalamazoo    39 

Kermes 151 

Leaf  Curl    63 

Leaf  Roller  227 

Linden    90 

Locust,  Black  91 

Locust  Borer   Ill 

Locust,  Honey    91 

Maple,  Norway    92 

Maple,  Red  93 

Maple.  Soft 93 

Maple.  Sugar   92 

Mason,  B.  F 26 

Mealy  Bug   157 

Mildew 59 

Mountain  Rose    37 

^lorgan  Scale 219 

Nazara  Hilaris 53 

Niblack.  M.  J 249 

Nurserymen,  List  of 9 


Indiana  Static  Entomologist.  265 

PAGE 

(Jak,  Pin    93 

Oak,  Red  93 

Oak  Twig  Pruuer  113 

01(1  Mixoii  38 

Oleander  Scale 203 

Orthesia  151 

Osage  Lecanium    169 

Oystershell  Scale   222 

Peach  Blight    57 

Peach,  Diseases  of  53 

Peach  Growing  in  Indiana    13 

Peach  Mildew    59 

Peach  Leaf  Curl  63 

Peach  Scab 62 

Peach  Yellows  53 

Pigeon  Treiuex    105 

Pine    94 

Pine  Scale 190 

Planting  Peach  Trees   21 

I'lnm  Cnrculio  47 

Pi-uning   32 

Purple  Scale 221 

Putnam   Scale    193 

Red  Head  Fungus    5 

Reeder,  Dr.  D.  II 7 

Rose  Scale 193 

Salway  39 

San  Jose  Scale 204 

Scale  Insects  of  Indiana 145 

Scale  Insect — New  Species   226 

Scab   62 

Scurfy   Scale 188 

Seventeen  Year  Cicada   142  ^ 

Shade  Trees — Insects  Injurious  to   67 

Shade  Trees— Effect  of  Tar  on   70 

Sraock 38 

Soft  Scale  166 

Spiny  Elm  Caterpillar 136 

Spraying    35 

Spruce    94 

Stump  37 

Sycamore  95 

Tent  Caterpillar    114 

Terrapin   Scale    175 

Transferring  Bees 238 


•^6(j  Fourth  Annual  Report 

PAGE 

Tnlip  Tree    100 

Tussock  Moth 127 

Twig  Pruner    113 

Vonnegut,  Walter  7 

Varieties  of  Peaches  37 

Walnut  100 

Walnut  Worm   140 

Wheat  Stem  Maggot 228 

Willow   100 

Willow  Scale  193 

Woolly  Maple  Leaf  Scale 154 

Yellows 53 


£^ 


V 


